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UC-NRLF 


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■UlUtUIJUIlll 
i!!IJJ((lH!UII 

•lUUililUllM 

-rfuHiiiYnui' 
iinniu/jfui! 
■  ni  muifinv.' 


'  n  m  I  n ;  1 1 1 1 1 1 
iiiUiuuitiiui 
■  ntuimiiitu 

illillJH---^--- 


THE 


FIRST  OF  THE  KNICKERBOgKERSi 
21   aale   of  1673. 


BY    P.     HAMILTON    MYERS 

AUTHOR  OF  THE   "  YOUNG  PATROON,"   ETC. 


' '  Noch  leefl  de  trouwe  zorgh  van  Amstels  Burger-Heeren  : 
En  strekt  zigh  Oost  en  West  ten  beste  van  't  gemeen  : 
Enkonnen  kloekkelijk  een  Landt  en  volk  regeeren 

Dat  schier  gelijk  het  Vee  liep  wild  en  woest  daar  heen. 
Die  grijse  en  vvijse  zorg  doet  Hollands  Thuyn  bewaren  ; 
En't  JiTieuvre  JVederland  ook  Christelijk  wel  varen." 
E,  jVieitwenhof  s  Ode,  dedicated  to 

De  Hoogloffelijcke  Joan  Huydekooper, 

Lord  of  JVeerdyck. 


SECOND    EDITION. 

NEW-YORK: 

GEORGE    P.    PUTNAM,     155    BROADWAY 

LONDON.    PUTNAM'S    AMERICAN    AGENCY. 

Removed  from  Paternoster  Row  to 

J.   Chapman,    142   Stranp. 

MDCCCXI.IX. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1848,  by 

GEORGE  P.  PUTNAM, 

Id  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the  Southern 

District  of  New  York. 


EDWAKD    O.   JEMQNS,    PRINTER, 
114  Nassau  St,  New  York. 


T  O 

WASHINGTON    IRVING,   ESQ., 

THIS     VOLUME     IS 

(BY    PERMISSION,) 

BY    THE     AUTHOR, 


r^^.-p.  y<i*^r*Jt 


PREFACE 


Much  wit  has  been  expended  upon  prefaces ; 
and  it  has  sometimes  happened  that  a  whole 
string  of  brilHants,  constituting,  perhaps,  an 
author's  chief  stock  in  trade,  has  been  ostenta- 
tiously displayed  at  the  door,  as  it  were,  of  his 
book,  luring  the  unsuspecting  reader  within, 
only  to  find  that  the  interior  of  the  edifice  had 
been  despoiled  to  ornament  the  vestibule. 
Such  introductions  may  be  compared  to  a  large 
fire,  lighted  at  the  ^  mouth  of  a  cavern,  which 
serves  only  to  reveal  the  darkness  within. 
Their  writers,  if  yet  another  metaphor  may  be 
allowed,  are  like  clocks  at  meridian ;  they  first 
strike  twelve,  and  afterwards  preserve  a  low 
and  monotonous  ticking. 

A  preface,  indeed,  is  dangerous  ground  for 
an  author  to  tread  upon.  It  should  be  short, 
pithy,  and  to  the  point.  It  should  hold  out  no 
false  promises  ;  and  should  explain  to  that  very 


•  PREFACE. 

Tl 


exacting  tribunal,  the  reading  community,  and 
to  their  vigilant  purveyors,  the  critics,  the 
claims  to  notice  of  the  work  which  it  intro- 
duces. It  should  be  unassuming,  concise,  lucid, 
and  bold ;  with  a  shght  odor  of  incense  for  the 
very  capacious  nostrils  of  the  Public,  and  a 
sort  of  gentle  "  by  your  leave  "  flashing  of  gen- 
uine wit. 

Despairing  of  attaining  such  a  standard,  the 
author  of  the  following  tale  has  determined 
to  write  no  preface  ;  although,  out  of  regard  to 
precedent,  he  has  affixed  that  name  to  what 
might  more  properly  be  termed  a  postscript. 
Like  that  ingenious  jeweller,  however,  who 
recommended  his  washed*  tinsel,  by  asserting, 
in  Yankee  phraseology,  that  the  best  part  of  it 
was  gold,  he  would  simply  say,  that  although 
the  following  work  is  a  fiction,  designed  to  illus- 
trate a  great  many  things,  the  best,  or  most 
important  part  of  the  incidents  follows,  with 
reasonable  fidelity,  that  interesting  line  of  our 
earhest  colonial  history  to  which  public  atten- 
tion has  of  late  been  particularly  directed. 
New  York.  October.  1848. 


THE 

FIRST  OF  THE  KNICKERBOCKERS; 

A     TALE     OF     1673. 

CHAPTER    I. 

The  great  State  of  New  York,  rejoicing  now  in  its 
separate  sovereignty,  and  in  its  vast  metropolis,  the 
conceded  capital  of  the  western  world,  and  vieing  in 
resources,  both  of  money  and  muscles,  with  the  old 
nations  of  Europe,  seems  scarce  possibfy  the  same 
which,  less  than  two  centuries  ago,  was  the  colonial 
appendage  alternately  of  England  and  Holland,  and 
but  lightly  valued  by  either.  But  let  it  not  lower  thy 
honest  pride,  oh  vaunted  Empire  State  !  to  remember 
those  earlier  days,  when,  in  the  shuttlecock  state  of 
thy  existence,  thou  wast  bandied  about  from  owner 
to  owner,  now  seized  by  force,  and  now,  a  mere  make- 
weight, thrown  in  to  settle  some  more  important  bar- 
gain. And  thou,  oh  gorgeous  city  of  Manhattan  I 
mart  of  nations  !  blush  not  to  own  thy  former  self  in 
a  small  provincial  town,  clustered  around  its  parent 
2 


10  d !)  e  if  i V s t    of   1 1)  e   B- n ( r  h  e  v  1)  o  c fe e u s . 


fori-ress,  to  ri^jry.  o.itt  the  pleasing  illusion  of  protec- 
tion beneath  its  dread  arnfianaent  of  sixteen  frowning 
guns.  Formidable  at  least  were  they  to  the  prowling 
savage,  lurking  in  undiscovered  haunts,  where  now 
the  tide  of  human  life  rolls  thickest,  and  where  loudest 
comes  the  busy  hum  of  commerce  to  the  ear. 

Renowned  among  the  primitive  patriarchs  of  the 
New  Netherlands,  a  stickler  for  the  dignity  and  honor 
of  the  States  General,  and  a  fitting  representative  of 
his  transatlantic  progenitors,  was  old  Evert  Knicker- 
bocker. His  fortunes,  like  his  affections,  were  so  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  rise  and  decadence  of  the 
ancient  Dutch  dynasty  in  New  Amsterdam,  as  to  ren- 
der an  account  of  the  one  to  some  extent  a  history  of 
the  other.  Yet  to  neither  of  these  weis^hty  tasks  does 
the  humble  pen  of  the  present  narrator  aspire.  An 
outline  sketch  of  the  character  and  fortunes  of  the 
venerable  Evert  is  all  that  can  with  safety  be  prom> 
ised  ;  for  the  shades  of  his  cotemporary  heroes  are 
also  hovering  near,  and  many  thronging  memories  are 
summoned  from  the  cloudy  realms  of  Tradition,  obe= 
dient  to  the  spell  of  that  magical  name.  To  throw 
around  these  aerial  messengers  the  fetters  of  pen  and 
ink,  and  to  preserve  them  a  little  longer  from  their 
destined  oblivion,  or  mayhap,  ah,  wo  is  me  !  to  hasten 
them,  by  an  unfortunate  association,  to  that  gloomy  end 
—such  is  my  more  humble  expectation.    Thy  memory. 


^\)c  ffivst  of   t!)e   mnicfecrliocftcrs.  11 

oh  noble  and  magnanimous  Evert  !  embodiment  of 
the  sterling  virtues  of  a  noble  and  magnanimous  peo- 
ple, may  form  indeed  the  theme  of  passing  eulogy, 
thy  frailties  perhaps  elicit  a  passing  smile.  But  thou 
art  introduced  novi^  and  here  (be  quiet,  restive  shade  !) 
rather  as  the  usher  and  forerunner  of  one  claiming 
a  more  distinguished  notice.  Nay,  never  shake  thy 
hoary  locks  at  me  !  A  friend  and  confidant  of  the 
valiant  Stuyvesant,  sayest  thou?  a  member  of  his 
privy  council  ?  one  of  his  body-guard  as  'tv^ere  ? 
What  though  thou  v\^ert  ?  Thou  art  a  shade,  innocu- 
ous now,  and  must  stand  awhile  aside,  while  Youth 
and  Beauty  claim  our  first  regard. 

Youth  and  Beauty  !  Perennial  ideas  of  a  flitting 
reality  !  how  like  the  sunshine  do  ye  glide  from  point 
to  point,  among  the  generations  of  men,  gilding  with 
your  beams  each  successive  race,  and  followed  still  by 
the  penumbra  of  advancing  age.  Not  such,  however, 
are  their  reflections  who  bask  within  your  beams,  nor 
such  were  thine,  oh  pure  and  peerless  Effie  !  fairest 
of  Manhattan's  many  fair  !  rejoicing  in  thy  dowery  of 
charms,  profuse  as  blossoms  on  the  vernal  bough. 
The  shade  of  Evert  stands  appeased,  and  smiles  ap- 
proving now,  willing,  as  in  life,  to  concede  to  thee,  sole 
centre  of  his  love,  all  precedence  of  praise. 

A  picture  of  happiness  and  content  were  they,  the 
gray-haii;ed  man  and  his  beautiful  daughter,  sitting  at 


12  tmfit   iFirst   of   tt)c   mnickerbocftersf. 

summer's  twilight  in  the  open  porch  that  overlooked 
the  silvery  Hudson,  while  fragrant  wreaths  of  smoke 
hung  suspended,  halo-like,  above  the  head  of  the  one, 
and  glossy  curls,  brown,  rich  and  silken,  floated  as 
airily  around  the  gently-tinted  cheeks  of  the  other. 

Not  with  embroidery  or  books — features  rather  of 
a  more  modern  day — were  Efiie's  snowy  fingers 
busy  ;  but,  girt  with  mysterious  utensils  of  long,  slim 
wire,  they  nimbly  moved,  while  eyes  and  thoughts 
were  roaming  far  abroad,  unheeding  pussy's  playful 
antics  with  the  stray  ball  of  worsted,  which  she  now 
tapped  daintily  with  velvet  paw,  and  now  pounced 
fiercely  on,  with  talons  all  unsheathed. 

If  shadows  could  make  indentures,  Evert's  portrait 
would  have  adorned  the  wall,  daguerreotyped  by 
the  setting  sun ;  for  where  now  he  sat,  had  he  regu- 
larly smoked  his  evening  pipe,  through  the  warm 
months  of  summer,  for  twenty-five  long  years.  There, 
eight  years  before,  had  he  been  startled  from  his 
wonted  reverie  upon  the  future  greatness  of  the  New 
Netherlands,  and  the  growing  honor  of  their  High 
Mightinesses,  by  the  booming  guns,  whose  echoes 
across  the  bay  and  through  the  distant  forests,  were 
but  the  prolonged  dirge  of  his  patriotic  hopes.  An 
English  fleet  was  in  the  harbor,  and  an  English 
army  on  its  decks.  Not  numerous,  it  is  true,  were 
the    foe,    nor    manv    were   their    floating^    forts,    but 


2i:i)e   jFirst   of  t!)c  IS^nicttevtiociters,  13 

there  was  enough  to  strike  terror  into  many  an  honest 
burgher's  heart,  and  to  turn  the  hps  of  Evert  whiter 
than  the  falHng  ashes  of  his  pipe.  He  was  one  of  the 
few  vahant  spirits  who,  clustering  around  their  daunt- 
less governor,  the  good  old  Stuyvesant,  would,  like 
him,  have  repelled  the  invasion  by  the  sacrifice  of 
their  lives  ;  and  if  the  superabundant  valor  of  a  few 
could  have  been  infused  into  the  sluggish  masses,  not 
then  at  least  would  the  banners  of  St.  George  have 
waved  in  triumph  over  the  walls  of  New  Amsterdam. 
Grievous  indeed  had  been  the  troubles  of  the  worthy 
Stuyvesant  and  his  doughty  band  of  councillors.  Is 
it  not  recorded  by  Diedrich  the  Great,  in  the  ancient 
chronicles  of  New  York,how  the  steady  and  successive 
encroachments  of  the  English  colonies  upon  the  Dutch 
governor's  domains  had  long  before  tasked  all  his 
resources  of  resistance  ?  How  even  argument,  which, 
next  to  powder,  the  military  governor  esteemed,  and 
which  he  did  not  scorn  to  use  when  the  munitions  of 
war  were  wanting,  had  failed  to  convince  the  expan- 
sive New  Englanders  of  the  duty  of  staying  at  home  ? 
That  principle,  which  since  has  grown  into  a  proverb, 
was  already  implanted  in  the  puritan  breasts,  and 
new  settlements  were  then,  as  now,  all  the  rage.  The 
banks  of  the  Delaware,  the  green  shores  of  Long 
Island,  and  even  the  vicinity  of  the  noble  Hudson, 
Dutch  in  its  discovery,  Dutch  by  long  possession,  and 


14  t)e   ffixst  ot   tijB   JS^nicfeerbocfecrs .  . 

Dutch  in  the  very  language  of  its  gurgling  waters, 
bore  witness  that  the  future  schoolmasters  of  Ame- 
rica were  already  abroad.  It  was  in  vain  to  reason 
with  a  people  whose  modest  charter  reached  to  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  who  purchased  their  lands,  not  of 
proprietaries,  or  of  crowns,  but  of  their  natural  own- 
ers, the  Indians.  "  Where,  then,  are  the  New  Neth- 
erlands ?"  was  the  question  of  the  perplexed  gov- 
ernor, in  response  to  the  vast  and  increasing  claims 
of  the  Yankees ;  and  not  soothing  to  that  testy  func- 
tionary was  the  laconic  reply  of  his  adversaries, 
**  We  do  not  know." 

But  now  the  crowning  calamity  had  come  ;  the  re- 
verberations of  the  threatening  cannon  had  died  away  ; 
the  lofty  demand  of  surrendry,  the  patriotic  resolves 
of  the  few,  the  pusillanimous  capitulation  of  the 
many — all  was  over.  The  gallant  governor  was  de- 
posed, and  Sir  Richard  Nichols  reigned  in  his  stead. 
But,  saith  an  ancient  and  punning  chronicler,  unknown 
to  the  present  age,  if  Nichols  reigned,  Stuyvesant 
stormed,  and  tempestuous  indeed  was  the  time. 
And  Evert,  too,  was  at  first  turbulent  with  wrath  ; 
but  in  his  milder  nature  that  gusty  passion  soon  sank 
to  a  subdued  and  gentle  grief;  and  nightly  now, 
as  he  took  his  accustomed  seat,  did  he  lament  the 
passing  away  of  the  good  old  times,  and  with  frag- 
mentary hopes   of  their  return,   build    airy    castles. 


2Ei)e   Sfixst  of   tije   Unicttcrftocfeecs.  15 


smoke-encircled,  and  vanishing  in  smoke.  But  time 
had  tempered  his  grief,  and  moderated  his  expecta- 
tions. A  change  might  come — he  would  not  despair  ; 
but  he  no  longer  looked  daily  to  see  the  gallant 
Tromp  whitening  the  Narrows  with  his  crowded 
sails,  nor  watched  the  iron  weather-cock  for  favoring 
winds  to  let  in  the  imaginary  fleet.  With  Stuyve- 
sant,  now  a  private  citizen,  and  his  boon  companion, 
he  revelled  in  the  memories  of  the  past,  and  enjoyed, 
not  sparingly,  the  creature  comforts  of  life,  with  a  zest 
seemingly  but  little  impaired  by  care.  He  was  wont, 
it  is  true,  to  decry  even  the  dainties  on  which  he  lux- 
uriated, as  inferior  to  those  produced  under  the  old 
Dutch  rule.  But  it  was  remarked  that  it  was  alw^ays 
the  second  flagon  of  ale  which  elicited  criticism,  and 
the  fourth  dozen  of  oysters,  in  which,  although  con- 
fessedly plump  and  luscious,  there  was  ever  a  l^ck  of 
a  certain  flavor  peculiar  to  their  ancestors. 

But  Evert  had  substantial  cause  for  his  attachment 
to  the  parent  country.  His  large  possessions — and 
very  large  they  were — were  chiefly  the  fruit  of  her 
bounty,  a  munificent  requital  for  early  colonial  ser- 
vices which  had  been  deemed  important  by  the  home 
government.  His  estate  lay  chiefly  upon  Long  Island, 
although  his  homestead  was  in  the  city,  and  he  held 
an  unheeded  title-deed  for  a  few  hundred  acres  of  wild 
land  a  mile  beyond  the  city  wall,  and  stretching  along 


16  grije  ffivsf^^of   ti)c   l^n  i  citer  liocfeers. 

the  shore  of  the  Hudson.  In  regard  to  this  last- 
named  property,  he  had  often  expressed  his  confident 
conviction  that,  but  for  the  calamitous  change  in  the 
government,  his  children  w^ould  have  lived  to  see  it 
highly  valuable,  and  worth  perhaps  even  a  guinea  to 
the  acre.  But  Evert  w^as  a  sanguine  man,  and  must 
not  be  censured  for  his  enthusiasm.  His  household, 
at  the  period  novi^  spoken  of,  consisted  only  of  himself 
and  two  children,  with  the  usual  retinue  of  slaves  in- 
cident, even  at  that  early  day,  to  all  the  wealthy  Dutch 
families.  The  beautiful  Effie  has  already  been  named, 
and  of  her  brother  it  is  sufficient  at  present  to  say 
that  he  was  a  merry,  rattling  wag  of  twenty-two, 
full  of  life,  and  utterly  indifferent,  as  long  as  he  was 
allowed  to  pursue  his  piscatory  and  forest  sports  un- 
molested, whether  Charles  the  Second  was  his  sove- 
reign,or  whether  he  was  under  the  dominion  of  their 
Mighty  Highnesses,  (as  he  used  to  call  them,)  the 
States  General  of  Holland.  The  venison  was  as  good, 
he  said,  after  feasting  heartily  upon  a  haunch  which 
had  been  bounding  at  sunrise  over  the  hills  of  Harlem, 
as  in  the  days  of  the  Dutch,  but  the  more  frequent 
salutes  at  the  fort  were  scaring  the  deer  farther  into 
the  wilderness.  He  cared  little  for  this,  however,  for 
he  had  a  noble  hunter,  which  had  been  sent  to  him 
by  a  sporting  cousin  in  Holland,  and  upon  which, 
together  with  six  hounds  and  a  few  promising  puppies. 


^tfc   ffivst   of   t!)e   SSktiicfeerftockcvs.  IT 

was  lavished,  seemingly,  the  whole  wealth  of  his  affec- 
tions. 

It  will  naturally  be  supposed  that  Effie,  the  beauti- 
ful, and  the  heiress,  was  not  without  her  adnairers ; 
for  our  ancestors  of  that  age,  unlike  ourselves,  are 
said  not  always  to  have  been  indifferent  to  metallic 
charms.  Suitors  she  certainly  had,  and  while  we 
have  been  wandering,  instead,  to  other  subjects,  it 
ought  to  have  been  said  that  the  party  on  the  Dutch 
councillor's  stoop  had  been  increased  to  three — that  a 
young  and  buckish-looking  gallant  was  disputing  with 
the  kitten  the  honor  of  holding  Miss  Effie's  ball  of 
worsted,  and  that  the  little  belle,  smiling  coldly,  was 
listening  with  a  semi-frown  to  the  pretty  flatteries  of 
her  companion. 


18  Efit   ffivBt  of  tt)e  B-nicfeerliocfecrs. 


CHAPTER    II. 

Among  the  colleagues  of  the  venerable  Mr,  Knick- 
erbocker in  the  council-board  of  the  last  governor  of 
New  Netherlands,  was  one  Wilhelmus  Groesbeck, 
the  counterpart  in  many  respects  of  Evert,  his  co- 
immigrant  in  early  life,  and,  as  the  latter  was  accus- 
tomed to  designate  him,  a  man  of  substance.  But, 
alas  for  time  and  change  !  the  New  Netherlands 
had  ceased  to  exist ;  the  governor  no  longer  wielded 
the  dread  bato7i  of  office ;  the  council-board  was 
broken  up,  and  the  man  of  substance  was  a  shade. 
Although  in  life  he  had  enjoyed  the  harmless  illu- 
sion of  being  the  owner  of  a  certain  portion  of 
the  planet  on  which  he  had  been  permitted  to  live, 
his  title,  as  grave  men  of  the  law  advise,  extending  to 
the  centre  of  the  earth,  three  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  miles,  (and  some  odd  feet,  which  he 
was  willing  to  throw  off,)  notwithstanding  all  this,  he 
died,  it  is  believed,  without  materially  changing  the 
position  of  his  property.  Not,  however,  without  de- 
cidedly changing  the  position  of  a  scape-grace  son, 
who  had  watched  hopefully  his  progenitor's  apoplectic 


Btft   iFirst  of   t|)e   2S-«icfeerbocfeers.  19 

symptoms  for  many  years,  and  who  was  disconsolate 
indeed — until  all  attempts  at  resuscitation  were  aban- 
doned. Tills  son,  by  that  strange  perversity  of  affec- 
tion so  often  observed,  had  ever  been  the  chief  object 
of  his  father's  regard,  and  found  himself  now  the 
principal  heir  to  his  estate,  and  the  direct  devisee  of 
many  wise  and  well-worded  admonitions  besides. 
That  Egbert  was  a  Jirsf  child,  and  thus  peculiarly 
the  remembrancer  of  one  who  had  long  forsaken 
earth — that  he  bore  he?'  features — that  he  had  been 
her  idol — these  perhaps  were  some  of  the  strands  of 
that  strong  paternal  affection  which  had  outlived  in- 
gratitude and  rebellion.  For  Wilhelmus  had  another 
son,  who,  if  not  disinherited,  was  left  comparatively 
indigent,  and  dependent  in  part  upon  the  bounty  of 
his  elder  brother,  to  whose  protection  he  was  com- 
mended. The  partial  parent,  proud  of  his  estate,  had 
been  desirous  that  it  should  be  preserved  entire,  in 
one  branch  of  the  family  ;  and  there  was  something  in 
the  bold  and  dashing  air  of  his  eldest  boy  which  com- 
mended him  to  the  father's  view,  as  a  fitting  person  to 
perpetuate  the  ancestral  honors.  He  was  a  headlong 
fellow,  and  although  entirely  selfish  and  unprincipled, 
bore  an  exterior  of  frankness  and  candor,  not  a  little 
pleasing  to  the  casual  observer.  He  was  a  famous 
sportsman  too,  and  had  carried  off  the  honors  of  the 
chase  on   many  a  well-contested  field— triumphs  so 


20  ^l^t  ffivst  of  t|)c  B-nicfeevbocfeevs . 

nearly  martial,  as  to  elevate  him  highly  in  the  good 
graces  of  the  late  military  governor. 

Rudolph  was  bookish,  mild  and  contemplative. 
He  soared  to  many  an  empja-ean  eminence  of 
thought,  and  if  he  took  any  flying  leaps,  it  was 
upon  the  winged  steed  of  Parnassus.  He  never  par- 
ticipated in  the  wassail  or  the  song  with  the  bloods 
of  the  day,  the  ebullitions  of  whose  coarser  nature 
seemed  to  jar  upon  his  sensitive  mind.  Yet  his  heart 
was  a  well-spring  of  every  noble  affection,  and  he 
was  alive  to  all  the  harmonies  and  beauties  of  Nature. 
If  modest  and  retiring,  he  was  firm  and  stable  in  his 
character,  (thanks  to  his  Flemish  blood  !)  and  he  was 
possessed  of  a  fund  of  humor,  which,  although  always 
.sparkling,  seldom  degenerated  into  sarcasm.  Such 
were  the  brothers  to  whom  the  great  Groesbeck 
estate  had  descended,  in  a  shower  of  wealth  to  the 
one,  and  a  slender  competence  to  the  other. 

But  Egbert  had  additional  cause  for  self-gratula- 
tion,  besides  that  of  being  the  recipient  of  so  bountiful 
a  patrimony  ;  for  he  was  the  afiianced  partner  of  the 
beautiful  Efiie.  Not  that  any  personal  compact 
existed  between  them,  but  the  matter  had  been 
arranged  years  before,  by  older  heads,  which,  shak- 
ing themselves  wisely  together,  had  settled  the  whole 
affair,  leaving  nothing  at  all  for  the  youngsters  to 
do,  excepting  quietly  to  acquiesce  in  the  proposed 
arrangement,  when  the  set  time  should  arrive.     What 


^\)t  ffivst  of  ti)e  Itnicfeerbocftcrs. 


21 


effect  Egbert's  sudden  enfranchisement  from  paternal 
authority  was  like  to  have   upon  the  matter,  did  not 
at  once  appear.      Certain  it  is  that   he    showed  no 
proper    appreciation    of  his    privileges.      The   fruit 
which   hangs  within  our    grasp,  however  rich    and 
luscious,  is  not  always  the  most  tempting  ;  for  the 
eye  ever  wanders  to  the  more  distant  branches,  and 
searches  for  inaccessible  treasures.     Indeed  the  mod- 
est and  retiring  charms  of  Effie,  were  scarcely  calcu- 
lated to  captivate  so  coarse  a  mind  as  that  of  Egbert. 
The    hoyden  beauty   who   could    meet    midway  his 
addresses,  who    could   flatter    and    cajole  him,  who 
could  talk  vociferously  and  laugh  boisterously,  was 
far  more  likely  to  attract  his  admiration  ;  and  such  a 
charmer,  unfortunately  for  the  young  heir,  lived  in  his 
neighborhood,  the  sole  object  of  whose  ambition  was 
his  subjugation.     She  was  the  daughter  of  one  Hiram 
Sharp,  a  man  who  had  transferred  his  talents  from 
one  of  the  New  England  settlements  to  that  of  New 
York,  but  a  few  years  prior  to  the  period  now  spoken 
of.      As  this  latter  personage,   like  his   daughter,  is 
destined  to  figure  somewhat  in  the  following  narra- 
tive, it  may  be  allowable  here  briefly  to  describe  him. 
Of  Miss  Euphemia,  and  of  her  younger  brother,  who 
was  just  arrived  at  man's  estate,  and  rejoiced  in  the 
sonorous  name  of  Benhadad,  little  need  at  present 
be  said,  as    the  progress    of   this  history  will    sufli- 


22  2r|)c   iFirst   of   tt)c   Unicfeerbocfeers. 

ciently  develop  their  prominent  beauties  of  charac- 
ter. Hiram  had  been  a  lawyer,  and  one  of  that  variety 
vi^hich  so  often  brings  opprobrium  upon  his  noble 
profession.  The  organ  of  cunning,  w^hatever  may 
be  its  designation  in  the  nomenclature  of  phrenology, 
was  the  nucleus  of  his  brain :  his  pineal  gland  was 
there,  and  his  soul ;  for  Hiram  was  what  is  called  an 
acute  man.  He  was  wide  awake,  as  the  saying  is  ; 
that  is  to  say,  he  w^as  always  looking  out  for  his  own 
interests,  and  looking  on  coldly,  yet  closely,  at  every- 
thing else.  Of  about  fifty  years,  rather  tall,  slightly 
stooping,  with  a  sharp  spectacled  face,  and  little,  rest- 
less gray  eyes,  laughing  much,  and  sneering  more, 
but  always  watching — such  was  Mr.  Sharp.  He  was 
not  at  the  time  now  spoken  of,  properly  a  lawyer,  for 
he  had  abandoned  his  profession,  and  was  engaged  in 
a  miscellaneous  trading  business  far  more  lucrative. 
He  bought  peltry  of  the  Indians,  poor  simpletons, 
who  thronged  his  doors,  eager  to  exchange  the 
wealth  of  the  forests  for  valueless  trinkets,  or  the 
suicidal  draught.  He  was  suspected,  too,  of  carrying 
on  a  still  more  reprehensible  species  of  commerce. 
It  is  well  known  that,  in  that  early  state  of  the  colony, 
the  government,  weak  and  unsettled,  was  often  com- 
pelled to  wink  at  the  greatest  enormities.  Pirates 
thronged  the  seas,  and,  scarcely  dissembling  their 
character,   visited  the  settlements.      They   were,  of 


Efft   jFit^st   of   t|)C    mnicfecri)ocfecis. 


23 


course,  a  rough,  bull-dog  race,  whose  huge  whiskers 
and  jaunty  caps  were  a  terror  to  all  beholders,  and 
the   weak  officials   of  the    law  were  fain  to  believe 
them  good,  honest  seamen,  a  little  eccentric  perhaps, 
but  evidently  industrious  and  thriving.     These  wor- 
thies were  often  seen  lounging  about  Hiram's  store, 
and  if  rich  foreign  fabrics  adorned  his  shelves  more 
plentifully  on  such  occasions — it  was  a  coincidence 
certainly,  but  what  was  a  coincidence  !     You  would 
not  deprive  a  man  of  his  good  name  merely  on  sus- 
picion, gentle  reader,  and   if  you  would,  let   me  tell 
you   that  your  ancestors  were  far  more  charitable. 
Certain  it  is  that  Hiram  Sharp  was  famed  for  being  a 
man  of  good  moral  character.    It  was  what  he  prided 
himself  upon.     He  could  have  brought  troops  of  wit- 
nesses to  any  tribunal  to  testify  to  it,  and  Captain 
Ripley,  the  gentleman    from  Portugal,  would    have 
clinched  the  matter  with  more  oaths,  probably,  than 
any  magistrate  would  have  required.     It  is  scarcely 
necessary    to  say  that  Mr.   Sharp  waxed    wealthy. 
His  roots  struck  deep  into  the  soil,  and  his  branches 
overshadowed  the  land.      They  overshadowed,  too, 
many  an    honest  Dutch  burgher,   who,  in    the  quiet 
contemplation  of   his    cabbages,    his    pipes,  and    his 
chubby-headed  boys,  saw  the  tide  of  trade  roll  tur- 
bulently   by,  without  ever    dreaming   of  embarking 
upon  its    treacherous    surface.      They  vented    some 


24  ?ri>e   ffivst   of   t1)e  Unicifecrtioctters. 

harmless  imprecations,  at  times,  upon  the  upstart  Yan- 
kee, fully  believing  that  Satan  was  his  right-hand 
man,  and  that  he  would  yet  be  seen  flying  away 
bodily  with  the  wily  lawyer,  and  all  his  ill-gotten 
treasures.  Mr.  Knickerbocker  was  among  the 
few  wealthy  Hollanders  whose  possessions  greatly 
exceeded  those  of  the  New  Englander,  and  the  stock 
of  moral  qualities  which  was  hoarded  up  in  the  guile- 
less b;-east  of  the  latter,  was  enhanced  and  beauti- 
fied by  the  crowning  one  of  envy.  He  could  not 
bear  to  see  the  silver-haired  Evert  walking  quietly 
about  with  his  hands  behind  him,  the  acknowledged 
proprietor  of  fifty  thousand  acres  of  land.  And  when 
he  learned  that  his  own  amiable  daughter,  imbued 
with  paternal  prudence,  was  angling  wilily  for  the 
treasures  of  the  defunct  Groesbeck,  his  dislike  to  the 
Knickerbockers  was  by  no  means  diminished  ;  for  he 
knew  well  the  intended  union  of  Egbert  and  Effie, 
and  he  had  but  little  hope  that  it  could  be  prevented. 
But  when  Hiram  could  do  nothing  else,  he  could 
tvatch,  and  silently  and  calmly  he  observed  the  course 
of  events.  Yet  vigilant  as  he  was,  there  were  some 
things  which  eluded  his  observation,  or  he  would 
have  ceased  so  eagerly  to  desire  the  alliance  which 
he  contemplated  for  his  daughter.  Egbert's  wealth 
gave  but  little  promise  of  perpetuity.  A  career 
marked  by  folly  and  extravagance  did  not  necessarily 


Ef)t   JfU-st    of   tfje    B-iitcfeerijocftErs.  26 


lead  him  to  transcend  his  ample  income,  but  there  is 
one  variety  of  vice  which  undermines  with  facility  the 
most  colossal  fortunes.  If  the  administration  of  the 
Duke  of  York  had  been  signalized  by  a  large  acces- 
sion of  English  gentry,  and  gallant  cavahers,  to  the 
province,  it  had  also  been  marked  by  the  influx  of  ad- 
venturers of  every  description.  Gambling  had  then 
as  now  its  fashionable  devotees,  and  its  systematic 
sharpers,  who  were  quick  to  discover  their  legitimate 
prey  ;  and  when  it  is  said  that  Egbert  unwarily  ven- 
tured within  the  circuit  of  this  great  moral  maelstrom, 
the  precariousness  of  his  possessions  will  be  readily 
conceded.  But  his  addiction  to  so  fatal  a  habit,  not- 
withstanding his  losses  had  already  been  large,  was 
unknown  even  to  the  astute  Hiram,  and  was  of  course 
unsuspected  by  Mr.  Knickerbocker ;  for  the  heavy 
mortgages  which  lay  upon  his  fair  fields  did  not 
change  their  smiling  aspect,  or  check  their  growing 
verdure. 

Long  wavering  in  his  choice  between  the  lawyer's 
daughter  and  the  gentle  Effie,  it  was  only  by  views 
of  a  mercenary  character  that  he  was  at  length 
brought  to  a  decision,  and  foregoing  his  frequent 
visits  to  the  former,  he  seemed  to  prosecute  with 
earnestness  his  claims  upon  his  affianced  bride.  Now 
Effie  had  a  heart  full  of  all  pure  and  noble  emotions, 
and   in    her  utter   loneliness    would  doubtless  easily 


26  tUftt   jFivstof   t\)c   linicfecvliocit£i*s 


have  been  won  by  a  generous  and  worthy  wooer. 
But,  she  had  been  offended  by  Egbert's  seeming  indif- 
ference, and  resolved,  with  true  feminine  spirit,  to 
punish  him,  if  only  with  temporary  resentment.  Well 
would  it  have  been  for  the  tardy  lover  if  the  gentle 
vengeance  of  Effie  had  been  all  that  he  had  to  dread. 
Well,  if  there  had  not  been  one,  w^hose  cool,  observant 
eye  was  upon  him,  whose  toils  were  all  around  him, 
and  who,  although  apparently  inactive,  was  ever 
watching — watching — watching. 


Sijc   iFUst   of   tijc    2S-nicfecri)ocfecvs.  21 


CHAPTER    III. 

Well  might  the  venerable  Evert  look  regretfully 
back  upon  departed  days  of  Dutch  dominion  in  the 
province  of  the  New  Netherlands.  So  many  were 
the  invidious  distinctions  made  between  the  Dutch 
and  English  residents,  by  the  new  authorities,  and  so 
needless  the  vexation  and  disquiet  inflicted  upon  the 
former,  that  some  began  to  take  alarm,  lest  even  the 
titles  to  real  estate  which  had  been  acquired  under 
the  old  dynasty,  should  be  set  aside.  The  power 
bestowed  by  the  Duke  of  York  upon  Governors 
Nichols  and  Lovelace,  was  of  a  plenary  nature,  and 
was  executed  much  in  accordance  with  the  despotic 
spirit  which,  at  that  period,  marked  the  British  rule. 
That  most  of  the  oppression  of  these  officers  was  the 
result  rather  of  a  system  for  which  they  were  not 
accountable,  than  of  any  unusual  personal  depravity, 
may  probably  be  true  :  yet  the  man  who  could  utter 
the  sentiment  that  severity  was  the  best  cure  for  dis- 
content, and  that  taxes  should  be  made  so  heavy,  that 
the  necessity  of  discharging  them  should  leave  the 
people  no  time  to  grumble,  certainly  possessed  some 
of  the  essential  elements   of  tyranny.     How  long  he 


28  S:i)c   JFivst    of    t1)r   lS.nicfeeri)ocfeers. 

could  have  withstood  the  spirit  of  the  present  age, 
outside  of  the  Celestial  Empire,  might  be  a  very  pretty 
problem,  and  v^ell  worth  the  solving.  If,  however, 
Governor  Lovelace  looked  with  an  evil  eye  upon 
some  of  the  more  wealthy  Hollanders,  he  did  not 
attempt  to  dispossess  them  of  their  lands,  but  follow- 
ing the  example  of  Sir  Richard  Nichols,  he  reaped  a 
rich  harvest  of  fees,  by  requiring  a  renewal  of  all 
patents  which  had  been  granted  by  the  former  govern- 
ment. •  The  brief  administration  of  his  predecessor 
had  left  this  labor  unaccomplished,  and  even  Love- 
lace probably  consulted  the  exigencies  of  his  private 
exchequer,  in  the  time  and  manner  of  enforcing  the 
requirement.  But  early  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  1672, 
the  few  who  had  neglected  previous  admonitions  on 
this  point,were  warned,  by  a  governmental  edict,  of  the 
necessity  of  compliance  within  a  prescribed  period. 

Among  those  by  whom  this  mandate  had  hitherto 
been  unheeded,  and  who  now  prepared  to  give  it  a 
grumbling  acquiescence,  was  Mr.  Knickerbocker ;  but 
what  was  his  consternation  on  being  unable,  after  the 
most  diligent  search,  to  find  any  trace  of  a  patent  for 
his  own  extensive  domains.  In  vain  w^as  the  depos- 
itory of  family  writings  ransacked,  and  countless  old 
papers,  musty  and  mildewed,  brought  to  light.  Bend- 
ing over  chests,  rummaging  through  drawers,  reach- 
ing to  topmost  shelves,  and  peering  into  dark  corners, 


9rt)c   ffivst   of  tl)c   B^uicfecufiocfecvs.  29 

the  alarmed  old  man  passed  a  whole  day,  without 
success.  Tired  with  his  labor,  he  sat  down  to  reflect, 
and,  although  he  distinctly  remembered  that  his 
manor  rights  had  been  settled  in  council,  fifteen  years 
before,  and  that  he  was  then  fully  entitled  to  his 
patent,  he  could  not  recall  to  mind  the  existence  of 
any  such  instrument.  He  did  not  remember  ever  to 
have  seen  it,  and  the  fearful  truth  gradually  forced 
itself  upon  his  mind,  that  by  some  strange  oversight, 
it  never  had  been  executed.  A  blind  confidence  in 
the  stability  of  the  then  existing  government  was 
doubtless,  in  some  degree,  the  cause  of  this  culpable 
negligence.  But  how  dreadful  was  his  dilemma,  with 
watchful  enemies  on  every  side,  and  so  strong  a  pre- 
text for  wresting  his  estate  from  his  hands  !  He  knew 
full  well  that  if  he  had  no  deed,  his  lands  would  be 
regarded  as  having  belonged  to  the  Dutch  government 
at  the  time  of  the  conquest,  and  as  having  passed,  by 
that  event,  to  the  new  sovereignty.  Desperate  with 
fear,  he  resumed  his  laborious  search,  and  quitted  it 
only  when  exhausted  both  in  body  and  mind.  On 
the  next  day  he  gained  access  to  the  public  office 
where  the  object  of  his  search,  if  in  existence,  should 
have  been  recorded,  and  without  disclosing  his  object 
to  any,  made  a  diligent  examination,  which  proved 
equally  fruitless.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  he  return- 
ed to  his    home,  a  sad  and   dispirited  man.     All  his 


30  STfjc    ffivst    of   tf)c   B-tiicfecrftocfeevs. 


m 

vast  possessions  seemed  slipping  from  his  grasp,  as  it 
were  by  some  necromantic  wile.     It  was  a  consolation 
however  to  reflect  that  as  yet  he  was  the  sole  possessor 
of  this  important  secret ;  and  earnestly  hoping  that 
what  had  so  long  remained  undiscovered,  might  con- 
tinue to  be  concealed,  he  resolved  to  maintain  a  per- 
fect silence  upon  the  subject.     Doubtless,  he  thought, 
the  new  instrument  could  be  constructed  without  any 
reference  to  the  old,  for  the  tract  to  be  embraced  in  it 
was  known  as  certain  distinct  townships,  and  required 
no  definite  description.     Such  was  the  judicious  rea- 
soning of  Evert,  but   reason  and   resolution   did  not 
allay  his  alarm.     With  the  mania  of  a  mind  filled  with 
a  single  idea,  he  was  haunted  day  and  night  by  the 
dreadful  fear   that  some  accident  would  betray  the 
momentous  truth.     He  looked  suspiciously  at  his  ten- 
ants, as  they  thronged  on  quarter-day  at  his  door,  and 
wondered  that  they  did  not  question  his  rights.     Quie- 
tude became  a  stranger  to  his  breast,  and  sleep  for- 
sook his  pillow  ;  or  else   even   in   dreams   his  grief 
returned.     Visionary   sheriffs    surrounded    his     bed, 
serving   countless    writs   of    ejectment:  long  parch- 
ment processes,   the   very  caligraphy   of  which  was 
fierce    and  threatening,   unrolled   themselves    before 
his   eyes  :  little    mocking  demons  perched   upon   his 
bed-posts,  and,  grinning  widely,  whispered  to   each 
other,  ''He  hasn't  any  title T  and  one.  bending  even 


E\)t   iFtvst    of   tyc    l^iiicfecrftocftci-s.  31 

over  his  pillow,  with  cheeks  distended  like  a  trumpeter's, 
shouted  into  his  ears,  '•  Where's  your  jmtent  ?  where' s 
your  'patent? 

Morning  came,  and  he  walked  about  his  grounds  for 
relief;  but  fear  and  suspicion  were  his  companions. 
The  very  fowls  seemed  to  be  cackling  forth  his  secret. 
Chanticleer  jumped  upon  the  fence,  and  crowed  it  to 
the  winds  ;  the  ducks  were  babbling  about  it  in  the 
pond  ;  the  geese,  with  long  necks  outstretched,  hissed 
it  in  his  ears  ;  and  a  fierce  old  gobbler,  his  gills  red  with 
wrath,  eyed  him  askance,  as  he  sputtered  forth  his 
views  on  the  subject,  with  wonderful  volubility,  though 
fortunately  in  an  unknown  tongue. 

He  strolled  into  the  city,  and  sought  diversion  of  mind. 
His  walk  led  him  directly  past  the  store  of  the  attorney, 
whose  meddling  propensities  he  was  well  acquainted 
with,  and  whom,  of  all  men,  he  dreaded  most  to  encoun- 
ter. He  was  just  congratulating  himself  on  getting  past 
unaccosted,  when  the  sharp  visage  and  sharper  voice 
of  the  lawyer  made  him  cognizant  of  his  approach. 
Evert  prepared  to  give  him  a  civil  good-day,  and 
glide  quietly  by,  but  the  other  evidently  contemplated 
some  further  salutation.  He  had  a  pencil  in  one 
hand,  and  in  the  other  a  little  scrap  of  paper,  scrawled 
all  over  with  figures  and  diagrams,  and  there  was  an 
ominous  pen  behind  his  ear;  altogether,  never  had 
the  lawyer  looked  so  formidable.     He  came  up  close 


32  B])t   jFivst   of    tf)c    2^uicfecvhocftcv5. 

to  Evert,  and  poked  his  sharp  nose  almost  into  the 
old  man's  face,  as,  with  an  awfully  distinct  articulation 
upon  each  word,  he  said, 

"  Mr.  Knickerbocker,  where' s — your — patent?''' 

Poor  Evert's  heart  stood  still;  the  blood  forsook 
his  face,  and  the  showering  ashes  fell,  flake-like,  from 
his  trembling  pipe.  Several  seconds  elapsed  before 
he  could  reply,  and  the  lawyer,  who  in  reality  design- 
ed nothing  more  than  to  elucidate  some  trifling  bound- 
ary question,  stood  wondering  at  his  emotion.  Now, 
great  as  was  Evert's  alarm,  he  would  not,  in  the  sin- 
gleness of  his  heart,  have  uttered  a  wilful  falsehood  for 
his  whole  estate,  and  he  replied,  stammeringly,  that  he 
did  not  think  he  could  lay  his  hand  upon  it  at  that 
moment. 

"Oh,  of  course  not,"  said  Hiram.  "I  did  not  sup- 
pose you  carried  it  about  with  you,  but  I  wanted  to 
know  how  far  north  your  ridge  farm  extends,  as  I 
have  a  tract  of  land  adjoining  ;"  and  the  lawyer  went 
on,  chattering  about  links,  and  chains,  and  blazed  trees, 
and  stakes,  and  stones,  and  surveyors,  until  all  these 
ideas  were  floating  in  a  complete  whirl  through  the 
brain  of  his  bewildered  auditor.  Evert  inquired  what 
boundary  Mr.  Sharp  claimed  upon  the  south,  and 
.upon  the  latter  designating  one  which  clearly  em- 
braced a  few  acres  of  his  own  land,  he  replied, 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Sharp,  I'll  not  dispute  it  with  you  ; 


2rt)e  ifiv^t  of   ti)c   28^nic!terJ)ocfeevs.  33 

put  your  fence  where  you  think  the  line  is,  and  it  shall 
be  all  right." 

The  lawyer,  gratified  and  astonished,  bowed  in 
reply ;  but,  as  Evert  was  walking  off,  he  gave  him 
the  gratifying  assurance  that  he  would  walk  over  to 
his  house,  nevertheless,  on  some  fine  day,  and  look 
at  the  patent— 3iS  he  wanted  to  see  about  the  Whiston 
and  Pebble  Bay  tracts,  and  about  the  Cove — and 
about 

"  Yes — yes — yes,''  said  the  old  man,  tearing  him- 
self away,  with  sad  forebodings,  "  any  time — any 
time.  You'll  come  soon  enough,"  he  muttered  to 
himself — "  it's  all  gone.  I  see  it  clearly  now,  it's  all 
gone — ah  !  my  poor,  poor  Effie." 

Evert  went  home  utterly  appalled.  Ruin  was 
"staring  him  in  the  face,  pulling  him  by  the  sleeve, 
pushing  him  from  behind,  surrounding  him  on  every 
side.  Sharp  would  certainly  come.  Nothing  in  the 
world  could  stop  him.  An  avalanche  would  not  have 
been  a  feather  in  his  path — an  earthquake  might  have 
shaken  him,  but  not  his  purpose.  He  could  not  fail 
to  discover  the  whole  secret,  for  the  absence  of  the 
patent  would  arouse  all  his  suspicions,  and  set  his  in- 
fernal wits  at  work.  Thus  thought  the  ex-councillor, 
and  not  without  reason.  From  the  moment  when  he 
parted  with  the  wily  lawyer,  the  latter  had  not  ceased 
to  wonder  at  his  singular  emotion.  Malice  sharpened 
3 


34  (!Ct)«  iFCvst   of   Ijjc   1^nicl\efl)ocfters. 

bis  wits,  and  his  suspicions  soon  taking  the  right  di- 
rection, he  flew  to  the  colonial  record  office,  and,  to 
his  unspeakable  delight,  found  that  it  contained  no 
trace  of  Evert's  title.  His  doubts  now  became  cer- 
tainty— the  agitation  of  the  old  man  was  all  accounted 
for,  and  Hiram  rubbed  his  hands,  and  grinned  glee- 
fully, as  he  thought  how  many  desirable  objects  the 
discovery  of  this  momentous  secret  would  enable  him 
to  accomplish.  It  was  true,  the  recording  of  the  pat- 
ent was  not  essential  to  its  validity,  and  if  Evert 
could  produce  it,  his  rights  could  not  be  questioned ; 
but  that  he  could  not  do  so  seemed  nearly  certain. 
"Why  else  should  it  remain  absent  from  the  public 
books,  and  why  such  unnecessary  alarm  ?  The  pat- 
ent was  either  lost,  or  had  never  been  executed,  and, 
in  either  case,  Hiram  foresaw  the  downfall  of  his  rival, 
a  bountiful  slice  of  his  manor  in  his  own  hands,  as  a 
reward  for  his  fidelity  to  the  state,  and,  above  all,  a 
probable  recovery  of  the  mercenary  Groesbeck  and 
his  extensive  estates.  With  such  inducements  for  ef- 
fort, he  resolved  to  leave  nothing  undone  ;  and,  sus- 
pending all  other  labors,  he  gave  his  mind  solely  to 
this  magnanimous  enterprise.  His  first  step  was  to  call 
upon  Governor  Lovelace,  with  whom  he  had  long- 
been  on  confidential  terms,  and  whose  favor  and  pow- 
erful patronage  rendered  him  additionally  formidable. 
He  did  not,  however,  fully  disclose  his  errand  to  that 
functionarv  at  first,  but  onlv  hinted  m  o^enernl  tenuis 


B\)t   ffixst   of   tjbe   Bnicfecrijocftcrs.  36 

at  his  important  secret,  seeking  to  elicit  the  views  and 
feelings  of  his  companion.  Lovelace,  however,  was 
not  a  man  to  be  trifled  with,  and  perceiving,  more  by 
the  lawyer's  countenance  and  manner,  than  by  his 
words,  that  his  mind  was  teeming  with  some  impor- 
tant matter,  he  hastily  replied  : 

"Speak  out,  Mr.  Sharp,  speak  out — you  talk  of 
escheats,  and  forfeitures,  and  rewards,  quite  too 
blindly.  Tell  your  whole  story,  sir ;  it  is  no  small 
game  that  you  have  treed,  I'll  be  sworn,  and  if  it  is 
any  of  these  smoke-dried,  disloyal,  old  curmudgeons 
who  go  about  with  their  gold-headed  canes,  prating 
of  their  High  Mightinesses,  the  States  General,  you 
may  name  your  own  price,  sir,  your  own  price,  with- 
in the  bounds  of  reason." 

"  Would  a  fifth  be  too  much  ?"  suggested  Sharp, 
nervously. 

"  A  fifth,  Hiram  ?  why,  you  grow  modest,  man — you 
do  indeed — you  shall  have  a  third,  sir,  a  third"  re- 
turned Lovelace,  who  had,  in  reality,  but  little  idea 
of  the  magnitude  of  the  lawyer's  '*game."  Sharp 
now  eagerly  disclosed  his  whole  story,  to  the  great 
surprise  of  his  companion,  and  the  conference  that 
followed  was  long  and  confidential.  Let  it  suflice, 
that  when  Hiram  went  home,  he  was  in  a  flush  of 
excitement  and  joy,  and  he  resolved  to  call  on  Mr. 
Knickerbocker  the  very  ne^t  day,  and  request  a  view 
of  the  patent. 


36  2ri)e   jFivst   of   t!)c   3S.nicfecvbocfeevs 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Overwhelmed  with  the  fear  of  his  impending 
calamity,  Evert  in  the  mean  time  resolved  to  apply 
to  his  old  friend,  Governor  Stuyvesant,  for  advice. 
The  thought  relieved  him,  and  he  flev^r  to  put  it  into 
execution.  The  ex-governor,  who  had  retired  from 
the  city  at  the  time  of  the  conquest  by  the  English, 
resided  about  two  miles  north  of  the  wall,  on  his  farm 
or  Bowerie,  a  locality  as  far  within  the  bounds  of  the 
modern  town,  as  it  was  beyond  the  precincts  of  the 
old.  He  received  Evert's  intelligence  in  silence,  and 
listened  to  the  thrice-repeated  story  of  the  garrulous 
old  man  without  reply.  His  countenance  gave  no 
indication  of  his  thoughts,  but  his  friend  could  read 
his  changing  emotions  with  sufficient  accuracy,  in  the 
varying  puffs  that  escaped  from  his  pipe.  The  dense, 
dark  cloud  which  burst  forth  at  first,  the  little  angry 
puffs  that  succeeded,  and  the  light,  easy,  graceful 
wreaths  that  next  ensued,  were  all  intelligible. 
There  was  surprise  and  alarm  at  the  danger — con- 
temptuous indignation  at  the  lawyer — and,  finally, 
distinct  and  certain  relief.     Poor  Evert's  eye  bright- 


2^1)0   JFifst   of  t|)0  J^nicktthocktxB,  37 


ened  as  he  beheld  these  harbingers  of  hope  floating 
gracefully  over  his  companion's  head.  He  seized  the 
hand  of  his  friend,  and,  with  watery  eyes,  looked  the 
gratitude  of  his  heart.  Stuyvesant  smiled  in  reply, 
and  lowering  his  pipe  for  the  first  time,  he  said : 

"  Go  home,  Mr.  Knickerbocker,  and  be  quiet ;  / 
think  I  know  where  your  patent  is.  Hans  shall  bring 
it  to  you.  Go  home,  and  go  to  bed,  for  you  look  like 
a  spook,  Mr.  Knickerbocker — go  home,  go  home,"  he 
continued,  shaking  the  old  man's  hand,  and  holding 
him  fast  the  meanwhile ;  and  then,  his  whole  face 
changing  to  a  thunder-cloud,  he  sputtered  forth  a 
string  of  Dutch  anathemas  at  the  meddling  lawyer, 
as  he  turned  hastily  away,  and  left  Evert  quietly  to 
pursue  his  homeward  path. 

Hans,  a  tub-like  lad  of  eighteen,  was  called  and 
despatched  at  once  to  summon  to  the  governor's 
presence.  Mynheer  Teunis  Vanderbilt,  an  old,  spare, 
spindle-shanked,  shadowy  man,  scarcely  larger  than 
the  smallest  of  his  own  money-bags,  who  had  at  one 
time  been  chief  officer  of  state  under  the  valiant 
Stuyvesant.  He  had  been  a  sort  of  prime  minister, 
chief  councillor,  civic  and  military  secretary,  and  aid- 
de-camp,  acting  also  occasionally  as  envoy  extra- 
ordinary to  Yankeedom  and  New  Sweden.  In  these 
capacities  and  others,  he  had  not  only  contrived  to 
feather  his  own  nest  pretty  eflfectually,  but  had  trea- 


38  Slje   jFitst  of   tlje  ^tnicfeetbocfeersf .* 

sured  up  a  wholesome  degree  of  wrath  against  the 
Yankees,  and,  like  Stuyvesant,  he  now  watched  with 
jealous  eyes  all  encroachments  upon  the  privileges  of 
his  order,  the  old  aristocracy  of  the  land. 

When  Mr.  Vanderbilt  arrived  at  the  house  of  his 
friend,  he  found  the  latter  sitting  beside  a  table,  on 
which  were  writing  materials,  and  a  large  blank 
sheet  of  parchment.  There  was  a  vacant  chair  at 
the  board,  of  which  Teunis  took  possession,  and  light- 
ing his  pipe,  a  silent  fumigation  ensued  for  about  half 
an  hour,  the  secretary's  eye  falling  occasionally  with 
an  inquiring  glance  upon  the  parchment. 

"  Hef  you  forgotten  how  to  write,  Teunis  ?"  at 
length  inquired  the  governor,  between  puffs. 

"  Nain — nain,  Mynheer,"  replied  the  secretary, 
laughing.     "  Ich  can  write  my  name.'' 

*'  I  don't  believe  it,"  returned  Stuyvesant  quietly. 

Teunis  gravely  repeated  his  assertion.  It  was 
indeed  a  lesson  that  he  had  taken  too  much  pains  to 
learn,  to  allow  of  his  easily  forgetting  it,  for  the  sum 
total  of  his  chirographical  education  had  been  de- 
voted to  the  acquirement  of  that  one  accomplishment, 
the  art  of  writing  his  name.  The  force  of  learning 
could  no  further  go. 

Stuyvesant  pushed  the  parchment  toward  his 
amazed  companion,  and,  putting  a  pen  into  his  hand, 
pointed  to  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  sheet. 


St)e   jfitBt  of   t|)e   B^nicttetiioclters.  39 

Amazement  seized  upon  poor  Teunis,  who  stared  first 
at  the  parchment,  and  then  at  the  governor,  but  the 
latter,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ceiHng,  sat  puffing 
a  regular  ha  !  ha  !  and  seemed  utterly  unconscious  of 
his  presence.  The  secretary  seized  the  pen,  and,  afi;er 
some  ineffectual  attemps  to  mend  it  with  his  tobacco 
knife,  set  himself  about  his  task.  It  was  a  tedious 
job,  and  the  little  man  paused  after  accomplishing 
the  first  half,  and  smoked  three  pipes  before  resuming 
his  labors,  eyeing  meanwhile,  with  much  compla- 
cency, the  scrawl  before  him,  which  might  easily 
have  been  mistaken  for  the  portrait  of  a  many-legged 
spider.  In  less  than  an  hour,  however,  the  feat  was 
satisfactorily  performed,  and  Stuyvesant  owned  him- 
self mistaken.  Mynheer  Vanderbilt,  however,  was 
an  astute  man,  and,  after  much  silent  cogitation,  he 
began  to  wonder  what  was  in  the  wind  ;  but  his  old 
habits  of  deference  to  his  superior  prevented  him 
from  encroaching  upon  his  confidence  by  inquiring 
into  anything  which  the  other  seemed  desirous  to 
conceal.  He,  therefore,  rose  to  depart,  and  was 
arrested  for  a  moment  in  the  door-way  by  the  voice  of 
his  friend. 

"  Teunis  !"  said  the  governor,  gruffly. 

The  secretary  turned,  and  looked  back. 

"  Teunis  !"  repeated  Stuyvesant,  more  emphatically. 

*•  Wal,  Mynheer  !"  was  the  response. 


40  ^\)t  ffiXBt   of   ti)e  lS^niclterl<ocfeer». 


The  governor  laid  down  his  pipe,  and  pressed  his 
forefinger  upon  his  closed  Hps,  until  the  displaced 
blood  left  them  as  colorless  as  the  wall.  Vanderbilt 
replied  to  this  pantomime  by  a  similar  gesture,  and 
departed. 

No  sooner  was  Stuyvesant  left  alone,  than  he 
seemed  desirous  of  ascertaining  whether  he  also  re- 
tained the  art  of  writing,  and,  taking  the  pen  which 
lay  beside  him,  he  affixed  his  own  name  to  the  lower 
part  of  the  parchment,  opposite  that  of  the  secretary. 
This  being  done,  the  services  of  Hans  were  once 
more  in  requisition.  Again  he  went  into  the  city, 
and  returned  this  time  accompanied  by  another 
elderly  man,  whose  sagacious  look,  and  quick  rolling 
eye,  gave  token  of  a  different  order  of  intellect.  He 
was,  in  fact,  an  ancient  Dutch  lawyer,  who  stood  high 
in  the  confidence  of  the  governor,  and  whose  little 
crotchety  handwriting  was  to  be  seen  on  all  the  public 
documents  of  the  late  administration.  But  like  many 
other  sagacious  men.  Mynheer  Myndert  Ten  Eyck 
had  contrived  to  overlook  the  main  chance,  and  had 
found  himself,  in  the  downhill  of  life,  almost  a  pen- 
sioner upon  the  bounty  of  his  ancient  comrades.  He 
had  no  reason,  however,  to  complain  of  stinted  gen- 
erosity on  the  part  of  the  ex-governor,  and  it  was 
owing  perhaps  partly  to  this  circumstance  that  he  had 
responded  with  such  alacrity  to  the  summons  of  the 


2Ci)e   jfitst   of   tfje   Ittii  cftevbockets.  41 

latter.  Stuyvesant  had  arranged  a  chair  for  him  at 
the  table  in  such  a  manner  that  he  could  scarcely  fail 
to  observe  the  mysterious  parchment,  with  its  signa- 
tures in  blank  ;  but  this  precaution  was  quite  un- 
necessary, for  Mynheer  Ten  Eyck  would  have 
discovered  it,  had  it  lain  in  the  darkest  corner  of  the 
room.  The  governor  proceeded  at  once  to  bnsiness, 
by  informing  his  visitor  of  Mr.  Knickerbocker's  loss, 
and  of  the  immense  importance  of  finding  the  docu- 
ment without  delay. 

"  I  have  reason  to  think,"  he  said,  "  that  it  is  in  your 
possession,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,  inasmuch  as  you  wrote  all 
the  old  patents,  and  I  want  you  to  look  for  it,  and  to 
look  very  sharp" — and  again  his  merry  pipe  sent  forth 
a  succession  of  little  laughing  puffs,  while  the  gravity 
of  his  countenance  remained  undisturbed. 

The  lawyer  comprehended  the  whole  subject ;  that 
he  did  so  was  sufficiently  evident  from  the  fact,  that, 
while  his  companion  was  looking  another  way,  he 
had  already  slipped  the  parchment  slily  into  his 
pocket.  "  I  think  I  can  find  Mr.  Knickerbocker's 
patent,"  he  replied  ;  but  a  cloud  of  doubt  rested  on 
his  face,  as  he  slowly  continued,  '•  but  I  hope  you 
have  considered " 

"  Everything,"  retorted  the  governor,  angrily.  **  I 
have  considered  everything,  Mr.  Ten  Eyck,  and  it 
must  be  found.  I  will  be  responsible — /,  sir — Peter 
3* 


42  Bfit   jFitst  of  t]pc  B.niclterl)ocfeets. 

Stuy  vesant,  with  my  manors  and  estates.     Do  you  un- 
derstand me  now  V 

The  lawyer  bowed. 

"  Donner  and  blitzen !"  exclaimed  the  old  man, 
striding  up  and  down  the  room  till  the  house  echoed 
with  the  strokes  of  his  wooden  leg  upon  the  oaken 
floor—"  Donner  and  bhtzen  !"  he  said,  scowling  at  the 
frightened  attorney,  "  would  you  sit  still  and  see  the 
finest  estate  in  the  province  confiscated,  and  the  gray- 
haired  Evert  in  the  poor-house,  while  a  parcel  of  idle 
Yankees  were  rioting  on  his  lands  ?     Would  you " 

How  far  the  venerable  Peter's  oration  would  have 
extended  is  uncertain,  but  on  the  breaking  away  of  a 
thick  cloud  which  had  hung  stationary  for  some  time, 
midway  to  the  ceiling,  he  discovered  that  his  auditor 
was  missing. 

Scarce  two  hours  had  elapsed,  however,  before  a 
messenger  from  the  attorney  arrived,  who  delivered 
a  sealed  package  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Stuyvesant, 
and  disappeared.  The  latter  eagerly  tore  off"  the  en- 
velope, and,  to  his  great  amazement,  beheld  an  old, 
worn,  smoke-dried,  mouse-nibbled  sheet  of  parch- 
ment, containing  letters  patent  to  Evert  Knicker- 
bocker for  all  his  manor  lands.  It  was  dated  in  1657 
— bore  the  signatures  of  Peter  Stuyvesant  as  gov- 
ernor, and  Teunis  Vanderbilt  as  secretary,  and  had 
an  old  dirty  seal  of  white  wax  appended  to  it  with  a 


Btit   ffivBtot  tj[)e  l&nictexhoc^tvn.  43 


faded  blue  ribbon.  Again  and  again  did  the  governor 
examine  and  scrutinize  it  with  the  most  overwhelm- 
ing astonishment. 

'*  The  tuyfel  is  in  the  lawyer,"  he  exclaimed  at 
length,  after  turning  it  over  for  the  fiftieth  time ;  and 
had  it  not  been  for  an  extra  cross  which  he  had  acci- 
dentally bestowed  upon  the  final  letter  of  his  name, 
he  would  have  sworn  that  the  document  before  him 
was  in  ever)"  respect  genuine.  As  it  was,  his  delight 
knew  no  bounds.  Calling  upon  Hans  once  more,  he 
despatched  him  with  the  precious  document,  carefully 
enveloped,  to  Mr.  Knickerbocker,  whose  amazement 
and  joy  had  well  nigh  overturned  his  reason ;  for  no 
faintest  gleam  of  suspicion  did  he  entertain  as  to  the 
authenticity  of  the  deed.  Soft  was  his  pillow  on  that 
happy  night ;  no  spectral  sheriffs  were  about  it ;  the 
demons  were  all  gone  ;  and  the  long,  spectacle-strid- 
den nose  and  rat-gray  eyes  of  Hiram  Sharp  did  not 
peer  from  behind  the  bed-post  once  during  the  live- 
long night. 


44  Bf)t  jFirst  oi  tje  ^nicttcrboctteriy . 


CHAPTER    V. 

The  gray  twilight  of  the  ensuing  morning  saw  the 
vigilant  lawyer  on  his  feet.  Far  different  had  been 
his  repose  from  that  of  the  venerable  Evert,  for  all 
night  long  the  clink  of  the  surveyor's  chain  had 
been  sounding  in  his  ears,  and  little  dancing  figures, 
indicative  of  interminable  distances,  had  floated  before 
his  eyes.  Longitudinally,  transversely,  and  diago- 
nally, had  he  divided  the  Knickerbocker  manor,  and 
at  every  trial  his  own  third  part  had  proved,  by  some 
strange  hocus  pocus,  larger  than  all  the  remainder. 
He  laughed  at  the  remembrance  of  his  dreams,  but  he 
looked  on  them  as  a  good  omen,  and  bestirred  himself 
diligently  at  his  labors.  It  was  nearly  mid-day,  how- 
ever, when  he  started  on  his  important  errand,  for  he 
was  certain  of  then  finding  Evert  at  home,  smoking 
his  after-dinner  pipe,  in  one  corner  of  his  long  Dutch 
stoop.  Despite  his  bountiful  supply  of  brass,  he  was 
a  little  embarrassed  at  first,  as  he  approached  his  sup- 
posed victim,  and  he  attempted  to  hide  his  confusion 
by  rapid  talking. 

"  Good  marnin',  Mr.  Knickerbocker,  heow  do  vou 


tEtic  ffivst  of  tt)e  l^nicttcrb  ocfecrs.  46 

dew — I've  called  over  about  that  air  patent  of  yourn — 
jest  w^ant  to  look  at  it  a  minute — fine  marnin'.  You've 
been  to  dinner  a'ready,  hay  ?  You  Dutch  people  have 
dinner  dreadful  arly." 

He  had  rattled  on  thus  far,  closely  watching,  mean- 
while, the  countenance  of  Evert,  and  he  stopped  now 
in  surprise  at  the  perfect  equanimity  of  the  latter, 
who,  handing  a  seat  to  his  visitor,  called  to  Effie,  to 
bring  the  desired  document.  Puzzled  beyond  expres- 
sion at  these  appearances,  and  not  a  little  alarmed. 
Sharp  was  arguing  to  himself  the  impossibility  of  its 
being  produced,  when  Effie  came  dancing  out,  and 
placed  the  sallow  old  parchment  in  his  hands.  Open- 
ing it,  with  an  eager  and  wolf-like  gaze,  his  eye  ran 
rapidly  across  the  sheet,  and  a  feeling  of  utter  dis- 
comfiture came  over  him.  If  it  had  been  his  own 
death-warrant  he  could  scarcely  have  viewed  it 
with  more  surprise  and  grief.  Again  and  again  did 
he  scan  it,  but,  forced  at  length  to  admit  to  him- 
self that  there  was  no  flaw  in  the  instrument,  he 
slowly  folded  it  up,  and  was  about  returning  it  to 
Evert,  when  a  sudden  thought  seemed  to  occur  to  him, 
and  he  drew  back  his  hand.  The  remembrance  of 
his  recent  conviction  that  the  patent  was  not  in  ex- 
istence, and  the  evidence  which  had  sustained  his 
belief,  came  back  to  his  mind  with  such  overwhelm- 
ing  force,   that   he   resolved    to  make   still   another 


46  C:j)c  JFiifst    of   t|)e   WinictcTiiocttta . 

examination.  For  ten  long  minutes  did  he  slowly 
inspect  the  paper,  until  every  fold  and  stain  and 
mark  had  been  perused  and  re-perused,  without  suc- 
cess. Suddenly  raising  it,  however,  to  the  light,  and 
looking  through  it,  a  glare  of  fiendish  exultation  shot 
across  his  features ;  for  the  faintly  stamped  mark  of 
the  manufacturers  had  caught  his  eye,  revealing  the 
dreadful  figures  "1671." 

"  It  is  a  forgery,"  he  shouted  ;  "  a  forgery !"  hold- 
ing it  up  before  Evert,  and  pointing  to  the  fearful 
proof,  while  the  parchment  shook  and  rattled  in  his 
unsteady  hand,  like  an  aspen  in  the  breeze.  A  deathly 
pallor  overspread  the  face  of  the  old  man :  he  rose 
tottering  to  his  feet,  gazed  for  a  moment  at  the  fatal 
figures,  and  then  sank  exhausted  to  his  chair,  with  a 
despairing  conviction  that  all  was  lost.  A  moment's 
reflection  convinced  the  wily  lawyer  of  the  true  state 
of  things.  He  knew  that  the  signatures  were  both 
genuine,  and  he  was  equally  well  acquainted  with  the 
writing  of  Ten  Eyck.  That  these  three  old  cronies 
of  Evert  should  have  thus  combined  to  help  him  out 
of  a  scrape,  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world. 
But  he  knew  also  that  Stuyvesant  was  at  the  bottom 
of  the  whole  intrigue,  and  he  would  as  willingly  have 
encountered  the  arch-fiend  as  have  got  into  a  broil  with 
the  irate  old  governor.  His  policy,  therefore,  was  to 
profess  to  believe  poor  Ten  Eyck  the  sole  artificer  of 


8Ci)e   jFi'tst   of   tf)e   BnUfecrftocfecrs.  4'7 

the  patent,  and  that  the  names  of  Stuyvesant  smd 
Vanderbilt  were  counterfeited.  He  hastened,  too,  to 
disclose  the  affair,  lest  the  ex-governor  might  in  some 
way  outwit  him  after  all.  Taking  advantage  there- 
fore of  Evert's  emotion,  he  slipped  the  patent  into 
his  pocket  and  departed.  He  bent  his  steps  directly 
to  the  residence  of  Governor  Lovelace,  and  after  a 
short  interview  with  that  officer,  hastened  to  the  house 
of  Ten  Eyck.  The  sight  of  Sharp  with  the  open 
patent  in  his  hand,  a  sudden  accusation,  and  an  appeal 
to  the  mischievous  figures,  overwhelmed  the  old  man, 
and  he  could  not  reply.  Hiram  laid  the  parchment 
on  the  table,  and  paced  the  room  as  he  conversed. 
There  was  a  fire  on  the  hearth,  and  his  alarmed  com- 
panion, taking  advantage  of  a  moment  when  the  back 
of  his  accuser  was  turned  to  him,  seized  the  evidence 
of  his  supposed  crime  and  cast  it  into  the  flames.  It 
was  what  Sharp  had  expected  and  desired.  The 
fatal  mischief  was  accomplished,  and  Evert  Knicker- 
bocker was  a  pauper. 

Not  in  the  literal  sense  of  the  word,  yet  reduced  to 
the  slender  competence  which  the  possession  of  a 
small  homestead,  and  a  few  hundred  pounds  beside, 
might  afford.  In  vain  was  every  effort  made  to  stay 
thje  operation  of  the  dreadful  machinery  of  the  law ; 
for  Evert's  rights  were  not  surrendered  without  a 
vigorous  effort  for  their  retention.     An  appeal  to  the 


48  E\)z   ffixst   ot   t!)e   l^nicfeerftocfecrs 


Duke  of  York  was  made  through  eminent  counsel  in 
England,  but  was  soon  abandoned  as  utterly  futile. 

"  The  Knickerbocker  manor,"  so  said  the  brief  offi- 
cial endorsement  on  the  returned  memorial,  "  having 
been  ungranted  at  the  time  of  the  conquest,  passed  to 
the  British  crown.  If  Mr.  Knickerbocker  has  any 
claim  for  redress,  it  is  evidently  upon  the  States  Gen- 
eral of  the  Netherlands." 

To  the  States  General  he  applied  with  about  equal 
success,  excepting  that  from  this  source  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  being  informed  that  his  loss  was  clearly 
the  result  of  his  own  remissness.  "  It  was  a  matter  of 
deep  regret,  and  it  was  to  be  hoped  that  the  Duke  of 
York  might  see  the  justice  of  relinquishing  his  title. 
The  Council  of  State  could  not  recognize  his  claim, 
but  voted  him  a  thousand  rix-dollars  in  token  of  their 
sympathy." 

"  A  thousand  rix-devils  !"  exclaimed  old  Governor 
Stuyvesant,  in  a  boiling  rage,  when  he  heard  of  this 
result.  "  Why,  it  won't  pay  PofFenburgh's  expenses  ;" 
for  Mynheer  Yawpy  Poffenburgh,  a  shrewd  old 
burgher,  who  was  supposed  to  have  some  influential 
friends  in  power  at  the  Hague,  had  been  despatched 
on  this  fruitless  embassy.  His  friends,  it  seemed,  had 
just  influence  enough  to  get  his  expenses  paid,  and  as 
to  the  rest,  why,  it  was  to  be  regretted,  of  course, 
said  Yawpy,  and  there  the  matter  ended. 


2rt)c   jFit'St    of   tt)C   B^nictterijocfeers.  49 

Months  elapsed,  of  course,  before  these  distant 
negotiations  were  completed,  but  so  slight  had  been 
Evert's  hopes  of  their  success  that  the  failure  caused 
him  but  little  additional  disappointment.  While  they 
were  pending,  Governor  Lovelace  declined  issuing  a 
patent  to  Sharp  for  his  third,  and  even  after  they  were 
concluded,  although  the  lawyer  was  allowed  to  take 
possession  of  his  estate,  he  was  still  compelled  to  wait 
for  his  deed  until  further  instructions  from  England 
were  received.  The  remaining  part  of  the  manor, 
Lovelace  himself  took  charge  of,  in  behalf  of  the  Duke, 
and  often,  as  he  rode  with  Sharp  about  the  extensive 
domains,  he  calculated  the  probabilities  of  obtaining 
it  in  lieu  of  his  half  pay,  upon  retiring  from  office. 

Although  Ten  Eyck  proved  too  faithful  to  his  pa- 
tron to  disclose  the  secret  of  the  false  patent,  no  real 
odium  attached  to  his  own  reputation.  Mr.  Knicker- 
bocker's rights  were  so  apparent,  and  the  injustice  of 
depriving  him  of  them  by  a  mere  technicality  so 
evident,  that  none  could  fail  to  sympathize  both  with 
him  and  his  discomfited  friend.  As  to  Sharp,  the 
informer,  enriched  by  his  own  infamy,  his  name  would 
doubtless  have  become  a  reproach,  had  he  not  imme- 
diately set  up  a  carriage,  doubled  his  subscription  to 
the  minister,  and  talked  largely  about  reforms,  and  all 
imaginable  kinds  of  charities. 

But  the  proper  course  of  this  narrative  now  carries 


50  5Ci)E   iFirst  of   tf)e   J^nictevhocttxs. 

us  back  to  a  time  cotemporary  with  its  opening 
scenes,  and  to  the  contemplation  of  other  characters 
and  different  events. 


2Ei)c   jflvst   of   tje   Unicfeerbocttcrs.  51 


CHAPTEE    VI. 

The  surprise  and  indignation  of  Rudolph  Groesbeck 
at  finding  himself  so  strangely  divested  of  his  expect- 
ed patrimony,  were  not  slight,  and  for  a  while  he  had 
entertained  the  illusive  hope  that  his  brother  would 
rectify  so  apparent  an  injustice.  But  it  soon  became 
evident  that  Egbert  contemplated  no  such  unnecessary 
generosity.  With  the  vanity  of  a  little  mind,  he  ex- 
ulted over  a  brother  whose  superiority  he  had  ever 
been  compelled  secretly  to  acknowledge  ;  though  it 
was  rather  Rudolph's  elegance  of  person,  and  a  cer- 
tain intuitive  grace  of  manner,  which  awakened  his 
envy,  than  the  advantages,  less  appreciable  to  him,  of 
an  enlarged  mind,  and  a  good  education.  Rudolph 
was  tall  and  well  formed,  and  his  face,  radiant  with 
intellectual  light,  possessed  beauty  of  a  higher  order 
than  any  which  mere  symmetry  of  features  can  impart. 
Possessed  of  a  scanty  income,  he  found  himself  re- 
stricted to  a  quiet  and  obscure  life,  and  subject,  more- 
over, to  the  not  infrequent  taunts  of  Egbert  and  his 
roystering  companions,  as  a  tame  and  spiritless  fellow, 
destined  to  mope  for  a  life-time  among  musty  books. 


52  ^i)c   JFivst   of   U)t  Itnicfecrbockers. 

And  such,  at  times,  he  fancied  himself  to  be,  secluded, 
owl-like,  from  the  world,  shutting  his  eyes  to  the 
daylight  of  the  Present,  and  groping  in  the  dim  night 
of  the  Past.  His  owlship,  however,  was  destined  to 
be  disturbed  by  the  flittings  of  a  butterfly.  He  met 
the  beautiful  Effie — each  unknown  to  the  other — 
rendered  her  some  trifling  courtesy,  and  returned  to 
his  books  to  find  her  sunny  features  upon  every  page, 
and  to  hear  the  melody  of  that  one  remembered  tone 
outsounding  all  the  grave  voices  of  Antiquity.  The 
transforming  power  of  Love  has  been  the  theme  of 
all  ages  ;  and  that  it  wrought  its  usual  marvels  upon 
Rudolph  need  not  be  doubted.  His  well-thumbed 
books  were  allowed  a  long  respite  upon  their  shelves, 
and  he  sought  in  frequent  walks  to  encounter  once 
more  his  unknown  charmer.  His  poetic  fancy  had 
invested  the  very  spot  in  which  they  had  met  with 
unwonted  beauty,  and  its  echoes  seemed  still  vocal 
with  the  harmonies  of  her  voice.  He  forgot  his  own 
poverty ;  he  forgot,  indeed,  that  there  were  such 
things  as  Wealth  and  Want.  A  rich  and  exhaustless 
mine  of  bliss  seemed  opened  in  his  heart,  which  would 
prove  triumphant  over  the  ills  of  life,  and  independent 
of  the  vicissitudes  of  Time. 

That  Rudolph  did  not  recognize  the  daughter  of  his 
father's  chosen  friend,  whom  as  a  child  he  had  inti- 
mately known,  is  seemingly  a  matter  of  surprise.    But 


^])t   jFirst    of    ti)e   S-nickcv&ocfeers.  53 

Time,  good  old  fellow,  to  give  him  his  due,  is  not  per- 
petually wielding  his  scythe  to  depopulate  nations, 
or  stooping  with  hammer  and  chisel  at  the  base  of 
mighty  edifices,  or  changing  the  channels  of  rivers, 
or  upbuilding  islands  in  mid-ocean.  For  he  had 
found  leisure,  during  Rudolph's  retirement,  to  develope 
so  many  beauties  and  graces  in  the  gentle  Effie,  as  to 
bury  beneath  their  profusion  her  former  self.  So 
sinks  the  vase  from  view,  concealed  by  bending  flow- 
ers. But  it  was  no  pleasure  to  the  student  to  learn 
that  his  fair  unknown  was  the  daughter  of  the  wealthy 
Evert.  For  a  while,  indeed,  he  wilfully  closed  his  eyes 
to  the  disparity  of  fortune  between  them,  and  meeting 
her  again  and  again,  by  a  design  which  seemed  like 
accident,  he  contrived  to  fasten  more  firmly  the  rosy 
fetters  which  enthralled  him.  Innocent  of  every  art, 
and  utterly  unconscious  of  Rudolph's  sentiments,  Effie's 
genuine  good  nature  and  childish  hilarity  of  spirits 
were  unchecked  in  his  presence  by  the  reserve  which 
might  otherwise  have  detracted  from  her  charms  ;  and 
the  lover  soon  found  himself  in  the  plight  of  the  daz- 
zled insect,  which,  unwarned  by  the  singeing  of  its 
wings,  continues  to  tempt  Fate,  until  it  rushes  bodily 
into  the  flame.  But  the  reflection  which  is  not  allowed 
to  precede,  is  sure  to  follow  our  imprudent  acts.  Ru- 
dolph's dream  of  bliss  was  ns  brief  as  it  was  bright ; 


54  STJjc   ffixst    of   tt)t   llnicfeeri)ocfeers. 

for  dismay  seized  upon  his  heart  as  he  at  length  began 
to  contemplate  the  gulf  that  intervened  between  him- 
self and  Effie. 

The  cold  stage  of  his  disease  set  in,  and  he  flew  to 
his  books  for  relief.  Homer  paraded  his  Helens  and 
Penelopes  before  him,  and  hinted  at  all  the  ruin  they 
had  wrought  ;  Virgil  dwelt  complacently  upon  the 
charms  of  the  magnificent  Dido  ;  Horace  cracked  a 
few  unfeeling  jokes  on  the  subject  of  Love  in  general  ; 
Ovid  offered  to  instruct  him  in  the  art ;  and  Seneca, 
the  grave  old  wag,  buried  to  his  chin  in  gold,  des- 
canted sagely  upon  the  blessings  of  Poverty.  Miser- 
able comforters  are  ye  all,  thought  the  hapless  Ru- 
dolph, as,  turning  his  back  upon  his  study,  he  strolled 
into  the  fields.  His  sudden  despair  however  had  not 
been  caused,  or  scarcely  enhanced,  by  the  existing  en- 
gagement between  Egbert  and  Effie,  for  to  that  event, 
while  it  remained  unratified  by  any  personal  contract, 
he  attached  no  manner  of  importance.  It  was  the  grim 
spectre  of  Poverty,  more  formidable  than  the  fabled 
genii  of  the  East,  which  stood  scowling  between  him 
and  the  bright  Paradise  of  his  hopes.  Musing  pain- 
fully upon  his  adverse  fortunes,  he  sauntered  to  the 
river,  and,  arranging  the  sails  of  a  small  boat  which 
he  kept  for  pleasure  excursions,  embarked  upon  the 
glassy  tide.  It  was  a  warm  autumnal  day,  and  the 
whole  face    of  Nature   was   wrapt    in    smiles.     The 


Ei)c   jFivst    ot   ti)e   B-nictterbocfeers.  55 

sky  was  bright  and  blue  above  him,  and  its  image 
bright  and  blue  below,  and  his  white-winged  bark 
seemed  suspended  in  mid-ether,  floating  cloud-like  and 
buoyantly  along.  The  sportive  sea-gulls  were  flitting 
around  him,  now  darting  into  the  stream,  and  now 
flashing  the  sunlight  from  their  dripping  wings,  as  they 
wheeled  rapidly  away.  The  trill  of  many  birds  came 
faintly  from  the  shore  ;  the  distant  lowing  of  cattle 
was  heard,  and  the  far-off*  voice  of  Chanticleer,  the 
challenge  and  reply,  at  once  disturbed  and  illustrated 
the  silence  of  the  scene.  Rudolph's  boat  seemed  in- 
stinctively to  shape  its  course  in  the  direction  of  the 
Knickerbocker  homestead,  which  stood  on  a  slight 
eminence,  that  sloped  by  a  gentle  declivity  to  the  river. 
At  the  bottom  of  the  garden,  and  on  the  very  margin 
of  the  stream,  was  a  latticed  summer-house,  clothed 
with  flowering  vines,  in  which  he  loved  to  fancy  the 
beautiful  Effie,  lulled  to  repose  by  the  silvery  voice  of 
the  tiny  billows  at  her  feet.  Loosening  his  snowy 
sails  opposite  this  sacred  retre'at,  he  loitered  midway 
of  the  stream,  forgetting  for  a  while  his  grief,  and 
wrapt  in  those  bright  dreams  of  the  imagination, 
whose  prismatic  hues  so  often  lend  their  radiance  to 
the  young  and  ingenuous  mind.  The  heavily  laden 
sloop,  sunk  to  her  gunwale  in  the  flood,  passed  him 
unheeded,  and  the  helmsman's  merry  troll,  and  the 
jarring  voices  of  the  crew,  scarce  sounded  in  his  ears. 


66  E.\)e   JFft-st    of    tt)e    JS^nic^txhocttxB. 


Unheard  was  the  shout  of  triumph  which  came  ever 
and  anon  from  the  fisherman's  shallop,  anchored  in 
the  distance,  and  the  louder  detonation  of  the  sports- 
man's gun,  echoing  among  the  adjacent  forests,  disturb- 
ed not  his  reverie.     His  mind  was  revelling  in  Elysian 
fields,  for  Hope,  like  the  coral  architect  of  the  sea, 
was  rearing  her  gorgeous  structures  beneath  the  very 
billows  of  Despair.    Thus  feeding  the  fire  that  consum- 
ed him,  the  hapless  Rudolph  gave  way  to  the  impulses 
of  a  generous  and  guileless  heart.     The  day  waned, 
and  he  retired  to  his   lonely  home,  depressed  by  the 
reaction  of  his  thoughts,  his  devotion  and  his  vigils 
unrewarded,  even  so  much  as  by  the  fluttering  of  a 
scarf  in  the   breeze.     The  time  now  spoken  of  was 
just  that  period  when  Egbert,  after  a  succession   of 
heavy  losses  at  the  gaming-table,  began  to  grow  cer- 
tain of  his   own  affection  for   the  beautiful  heiress. 
His  marked  addresses  to  Efhe  soon  became  generally 
known,  and  Rudolph,  smitten  to  the  heart  with  his 
own  adverse  fate,  resolved  to  abandon  a  home  dark- 
ened by  so  many  griefs.     In  the  settlement  about  Fort 
Orange,  or  as  it  was  called  by  the  English,  Fort  Al- 
bany, resided  a  brother  of  the  deceased   Wilhelmus, 
whose  often  urged  entreaties  for  a  visit  from  Rudolph 
the  latter  now  resolved  to  accept.     The  bustle  of  pre- 
paration for  so  extended  a  journey  was  at  once  a  re- 
lief to  his   mind,    and    the    many    sage    admonitions 


2C|)c  iTirst  of   tt)e   3^niciterI)o  ctters .  57 

which  he  received  as  to  the  dangers  of  the  undertak- 
ing convinced  him  that  he  was  not  in  reality  as  friend- 
less as  he  had  supposed.  A  sloop  was  preparing  to 
sail  for  the  fort,  for  the  transmission  of  some  muni- 
tions of  war,  and  other  government  stores,  to  the  gar- 
risons at  that  settlement  and  at  Schenectady.  Its 
departure  was  indeed  already  publicly  announced  by 
the  city  post ;  not  the  Evening  or  Morning  Post,  gen- 
tle reader,  but  a  day  and  night  post,  which  stood  pa- 
tiently in  front  of  the  government  house,  plastered  all 
over  with  public  notices,  in  all  imaginable  varieties  of 
writing.  On  board  this  vessel  Rudolph  embarked. 
The  voyage  was  unusually  long.  There  were  head 
winds,  and  side  winds,  and  no  winds,  to  baffle  the  wary 
skipper,  and  there  were  stoppings  at  night,  and  safe 
anchorings  to  be  found,  and  watchings  for  the  day. 
Formal  soundings  too  were  to  be  made,  even  where 
the  bottom  was  visible  through  the  shallow  and  pel- 
lucid wave  ;  and  the  coast  was  to  be  examined  for 
future  conquest ;  and  the  charcoal  chart  of  Captain 
Van  Dam  was  to  be  corrected  by  striking  out  three 
cannibal  islands  erroneously  set  down  on  a  former 
voyage,  and  by  inserting  a  volcanic  mountain  among 
the  Highlands,  which,  like  the  pipe  of  its  sage  discov^ 
erer,  is  supposed  to  have  long  since  burnt  out.  A 
week  indeed  elapsed  before  they  had  doubled  St.  An- 
thony's Nose,  and  another  ere  the  six  frowning  guns  of 
4 


58  ?Et)e  iFUst   of   tt)c   aanicheiftocfeecs. 

Fort  Albany  were  visible.  It  mattered  little,  however, 
to  Rudolph.  He  had  his  books  and  his  meerschaum, 
and  in  the  black-letter  page  of  the  one,  and  from  the 
fragrant  wreaths  of  the  other,  gleamed  the  radiant 
features  which  were  at  once  the  cause  and  the  solace 

of  his  grief. 

It  was  during  his  sojourn  in  these  hyperborean 
regions  that  the  important  events  recorded  in  the 
preceding  chapters  had  occurred,  of  which  no  intelli- 
gence had  yet  crossed  that  mighty  interval  which 
stretched  between  the  city  of  New  York  and  the  far 
northern  outpost  of  Albany. 

Egbert's  wooing,  meanw^hile,  had  for  a  time  given 
token  of  success,,  for  Effie  had  unfortunately  been 
accustomed  to  regard  the  alliance  as  a  matter  ot 
duty.  Her  heart  indeed  was  unwon,  but  then  she 
knew  nothing  of  the  wealth  of  affection  which  lay 
dormant  within  it. 

But  the  sudden  calamity  which  had  overwhelmed 
the  house  of  the  Knickerbockers,  singularly  enough 
put  a  new  aspect  upon  the  suitor's  zeal.  The  cul- 
minating point  of  his  love  seemed  suddenly  to  be 
past,  for  the  silvery  voice  of  Effie,  and  her  golden 
locks,  like  the  bills  of  a  broken  bank,  no  longer  repre- 
sented the  chink  of  the  genuine  coin.  He  had  mani- 
fested much  alarm  at  the  fu;st  intimation  of  Mr. 
Knickerbocker's   troubles,  and  lor   a   while  took   an 


2ri)t   ffiXBt  of   tf)e   mtiicfeerl)ocfeer». 


59 


active  part  in  attempting  to  defeat  the  machinations 
of  Sharp.     He  esteemed  himself,  however,  most  for- 
tunate in  not  having  yet  passed  the  Rubicon  of  pro- 
posal and  acceptance,  and  resolved,  while  the    peril 
impended,   to  maintain   a    middle    ground    between 
courtship  and  estrangement,  from  which  it  would  be 
equally   easy  to  advance  or  retreat;   thus  imitating 
the  tactics  of  some  renowned  generals,  whose  pane- 
gyrists have  loudly  lauded  their  discretion  for  want 
of  something  else  to  laud.     Miss  Sharp,  in  the  mean 
time,  did   not   cease    to   ply  her  artillery  with  great 
effect,  whenever  the  enemy  came  within  the  range  of 
her  charms.     She  affected  much  commiseration  for 
the   Knickerbockers,  and  regretted  that  the  govern- 
ment should  have  employed  her  father  in  so  unpleas- 
ant a  duty  as  that  of  prosecuting  its  claims  against 
him.     She  herself  could  bear  witness  to  the  sleepless 
nights  which  it  had  occasioned  poor  papa,  and  then 
her  own  feelings,  to  say  nothing  of  Benhadad's,  had 
been   lacerated  to  an  extent  that  it  was  really  quite 
painful  to  mention.     Such  was  the  substance  of  Miss 
Euphemia's  sentiments  as  detailed  to  Egbert,  with  as 
much  of  a  languishing  air  as  a  pair  of  small,  snaky 
eyes,  and   a  mouth   with  a   decidedly  snap-dragon- 
ish  expression,  would   admit  of.     But  her  fears  and 
suspense  were  not  of  very  long  continuance,  for  the 
news  from  abroad  of  the  ultimate  rejection  of  Evert's 


60  S:i)e  ffixst  of  tt)e  mniciter  i)o  cftcvs 


claims,  was  speedily  followed  by  another  marked 
change  in  the  deportment  of  Egbert.  His  attentions 
to  Effie  grew  "small  by  degrees  and  beautifully 
less,"  and  within  a  few  weeks  were  altogether  discon- 
tinued. 

Poor  old  Evert,  in  all  his  troubles,  had  thought  less 
of  himself  than  of  his  children,  and  he  consoled  him- 
self often  by  reflecting  how  well  his  darling  Effie  was 
provided  for,  and  by  hoping  that  Egbert,  in  the  plen- 
itude of  his  wealth  and  kindness,  might  possibly  lend 
a  helping  hand  also  to  his  heedless  son.  It  was  with 
bitter  grief  and  indignation,  therefore,  that  he  had  dis- 
covered the  perfidy  of  the  heartless  youth,  nor  would 
he  indeed  give  any  credence  to  the  signs  of  his  deser- 
tion until  compelled  so  to  do.  Far  different,  however, 
were  Effie's  feelings.  A  sense  of  relief,  and  of  free- 
dom from  some  hidden  danger,  gave  new  bloom  to 
her  face  and  fresh  buoyancy  to  her  steps.  She 
grieved  indeed  for  her  father's  sorrow,  and  sought 
ever  to  console  him  by  the  assurance  that  they  would 
still  do  well  enough. 

**  Remember,"  she  would  say,  as  she  brushed  the 
thin  locks  from  his  temples — "  Remember,  papa,  what 
Dominie  Vischer  told  us  on  Sunday,  about  blessings 
in  disguise." 

The  image  of  the  Dominie's  reverend  head,  just 
visible    above  the   huge  high   pulpit,  and  threatened 


Btft   ffivst   ot  ti)0   ISinicktxhocktvs.  61 

with  momentary  demolition  by  the  massive  cone, 
which,  like  the  sword  of  Damocles,  hung  perpetually 
above  it,  rose  for  a  moment  in  Evert's  mind. 

*'  Yes — yes,  my  child,  I  remember  it  well,"  he  re- 
plied. "  Heaven  knows  I  thought  of  thee,  when  he 
spoke  of  the  wind  being  tempered  to  the  shorn  lamb 
— for  thou  art  a  lamb,  my  Effie,  and  thy  fold  will  soon 
be  broken  up." 

"  *We  belong  to  one  fold  and  one  Shepherd,'  papa," 
said  Effie,  smiling  cheerfully;  and  the  old  man,  im- 
printing a  kiss  upon  the  cheek  of  his  child,  tottered 
weeping  from  the  room. 


62  2ri)e  iFiiJst   of   tt)e   l^nicttxhocttxH. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  gallant  Captain  Sinclair,  who  bore  about  his 
person  wounds  received  in  the  famous  battle  of  Dun- 
kirk, and  who  was  loitering  awhile  in  this  country, 
while  awaiting  some  expected  promotion  on  the  navy 
rolls  of  Spain — the  gallant  Captain  Sinclair  was  a 
little  fond  of  play. 

"  Not  deep — not  deep,  indeed,"  he  would  say,  as 
seating  himself  opposite  the  flattered  Egbert  in  a 
small  room  of  Mynheer  Schnaffenswauzer's  hotel,  he 
would  drop  his  cane  and  gloves,  and  raising  his  eye- 
glass, gaze  about  the  room  with  a  quick,  jerking 
motion  of  his  head,  to  make  sure  that  they  were  en- 
tirely alone.  'Captain  Sinclair  shuffled  the  cards  very 
awkwardly.  "  We  mariners,"  he  would  say,  ''  are 
more  accustomed  to  the  boarding-pike  than  the  card- 
table,"  and  he  quite  envied  his  companion's  more 
adroit  and  graceful  motions.  He  was  even  known, 
at  times,  to  drop  a  card  on  the  floor,  so  very  awk- 
ward was  he,  and  so  bungling,  and  at  times  those 
perverse  little  pieces  of  pasteboard  would  get  even 
into  the  sleeves  of  the  Captain's  coat,  a  new  naval 


Sr^c   jFu-st    of   t!)c   2S^nfcfterl)ocfeers.  63 


undress  of  Spain,  large  at  the  wrist,  and  open,  exceed- 
ingly. 

He  played  often  with  Groesbeck,  and  sometimes, 
at  night,  in  company  also  with  a  couple  of  young 
lieutenants  in  the  Austrian  service,  with  whom  they 
had  formed  quite  an  accidental  acquaintance,  and  the 
younger  of  whom  took  a  great  liking  to  Egbert,  and 
was  always  his  partner.  They  lost  very  heavily  at 
times,  but  the  Austrian  bore  his  misfortunes  with  a 
good  grace,  and  always  paid  promptly.  So  did 
Egbert,  for  he  would  not  for  the  world  have  dis- 
graced so  distinguished  an  acquaintance.  Captain 
Sinclair  had  his  doubts  sometimes  about  the  fair- 
ness of  the  younger  lieutenant's  play  ;  so  he  told  Mr. 
Groesbeck,  but  inasmuch  as  he  had  frequently  met 
that  young  officer  at  the  governor's  table,  he  could 
not  doubt  that  he  was  a  gentleman,  and  thought  he 
must  be  mistaken  in  his  suspicions.  But  still  he  cau- 
tioned his  young  and  inexperienced  friend,  if  he  ever 
played  with  the  Austrian  alone,  to  keep  both  his  eyes 
open  ;  and  as  this  was  a  feat  more  easily  performed 
than  keeping  only  one  of  those  organs  unclosed, 
Egbert  promised  compliance.  Indeed  he  saw  no 
reason  why  he  should  trouble  himself  much  about 
the  lieutenant's  foul  play,  inasmuch  as  the  latter  was 
always  his  own  partner.     "  Let  the  captain  look  to 


64  8rt)C   jfixst   of   ti)c   3^nicfterliocfeer0. 

that,"  he  said,  "  and  detect  it  for  himself.  Foul  play, 
indeed,  and  last  night  we  lost  five  hundred  pounds." 

And  thus  the  poor  dupe  went  on,  floundering  in 
the  net  that  was  all  around  him,  and  entangling  him- 
self at  e^ery  throe,  more  and  more  deeply.  Not  that 
Egbert  and  his  companion  always  lost ;  on  the  con- 
trary, they  won  at  times  quite  considerable  sums, 
which  the  Captain  always  paid  down  in  broad  Span- 
ish pieces ;  but  the  preponderance  of  the  luck  was 
heavily  against  them,  and  in  the  more  private  tete-d- 
tete  games  with  the  Spaniard,  Egbert  was  also  a 
heavy  loser. 

Sinclair  consoled  him,  in  all  these  reverses,  with 
tales  of  the  most  astounding  good  fortune  which  had 
befallen  people  upon  a  sudden  turn  of  luck  after  being 
nearly  ruined. 

**  There  was  old  Count  Sylvio,"  he  said  ;  "  you've 
heard  of  him,  I  dare  say,"  as  in  a  fit  of  absence  of 
mind  he  began  to  deal  the  cards  with  exceeding 
rapidity  and  ease  ;  "  old  Count  Sylvio — a  little  old 
fellow — tall  as  my  cane — yellow  as  an  orange — rich 
as  Croesus — he  wore  horn-framed  spectacles — the 
Count  did — very  large,  and  looked  just  like  an 
owl " 

"  Well,  what  of  him  ?"  said  Egbert,  as  the  other 
paused,  gazing  intently  at  his  hand  of  cards. 


E\}e   ffivst   of  ti)0   B-nicfecrftocftcrs.  65 

**  Just  like  an  owl,"  continued  the  Captain  ;  "  for  he 
stooped  a  little,  and  his  little  short  coat-skirts  stuck 
out  like  tail-feathers  ;"  and  again  the  Spaniard  stopped 
to  admire  some  fortunate  combination  of  cards  in  his 
hand. 

"  Well,  what  of  him  ?  what  happened  to  the  Count  ?" 
asked  Groesbeck,  petulantly;  for  his  ill-luck  had 
made  him  impatient. 

"  Why,  sir,"  said  Sinclair,  lowering  his  hand  and 
throwing  himself  back  in  his  chair,  "  he  lost  three 
large  estates  in  one  night,  valued  at  half  a  million 
piastres — in  one  night,  sir,  to  Pinnce  Pluckmski,  of 
Moscow,  and  just  as  he  was  going  out  of  the  room, 
quite  penniless,  he  met  a  friend,  of  whom  he  borrowed 
a  doubloon  just  for  present  necessities." 

"  Well  ?" 

"  Well,  sir,  he  looked  at  the  doubloon,  and  the 
doubloon  looked  at  him  ;  that  is,  as  he  said  after- 
wards, it  seemed  to  look  at  him  and  say,  '  Try  me,' 
and  so  the  Count  went  back,  and  asked  the  Prince  if 
he  would  play  for  a  doubloon,  and  the  Prince  con- 
sented, sir ;  and  the  Count  won — and  then  he  won 
again,  sir — and  again — and  he  kept  on  winning  until 
he  got  his  estates  all  back,  sir,  and  sixteen  townships 
in  Russia  besides,  with  three  thousand  serfs  in  their 
shirt-flaps,  sir  !" 

Mr.  Groesbeck  did  not  seem  much  consoled  by  this 

4* 


66  Etit    ffitBt  Of   tt)e   lS.nicfeerbocfecr». 

anecdote,  for  his  losses  continued  to  nnultiply,  until 
their  magnitude  became  truly  alarming  :  but  then  the 
Captain  was  irresistibly  polite  and  affable,  and  his 
victim  could  never  find  any  cause  of  quarrel  or  of- 
fence. Nor  vv^as  their  intimacy  by  any  means  con- 
fined to  the  card-table,  for  the  Spaniard  would  often 
call  with  a  dashing  equipage  purchased  with  his 
friend's  money,  and  invite  the  latter  to  take  a  drive 
with  him  about  the  city  and  its  suburbs.  They  were 
seen  together,  indeed,  at  all  public  places,  and  Egbert 
prided  himself  upon  the  association,  for  the  Captain  was 
so  distingue.  There  was  one  place,  however,  to  which 
Sinclair  would  never  go,  however  often  invited,  or 
urged,  and  that  was  the  residence  of  Mr.  Hiram  Sharp. 
He  even  seemed  to  avoid  it  in  their  drives  about  town, 
much  to  his  companion's  regret,  for  Egbert  was  not 
unwilling  to  show  off  his  aristocratic  looking  friend  to 
Miss  Euphemia,  who  it  need  scarcely  be  said  was 
already  fully  reinstated  in  his  affections.  Scarcely  a 
month  had  elapsed  since  the  cessation  of  his  visits  to 
Effie,  and  it  had  been  only  out  of  fear  of  public  scorn 
that  he  had  even  thus  long  refrained  from  appearing  as 
the  acknowledged  suitor  of  Miss  Sharp.  But  such  a 
motive  was  not  likely  long  to  influence  him,  more 
especially  as  neither  the  lawyer  himself,  nor  his 
daughter,  seemed  to  be  troubled  with  any  sensitive- 
ness on  that  point.     Sharp,  indeed,  for  once  became 


SCj^c   ffivst   of   tlje  ^nfcfterfiocfecrs.  61 

indiscreetly  eager  in  the  pursuit  of  his  object,  for  the 
large  bait,  which,  shark-like,  he  had  so  voraciously 
swallowed,  seemed  only  to  have  whetted  his  appetite. 
The  great  Groesbeck  estate  being  once  in  his  family 
in  addition  to  his  own  now  colossal  fortune,  he  would 
be  able  to  look  down  upon  Governor  Stuyvesant 
himself;  while  to  have  seen  Egbert  in  the  hands  of 
the  Knickerbockers,  would  have  left  his  pique  against 
that  harmless  old  man  far  from  being  gratified. 

It  does  not  take  long  to  make  a  bargain  when  both 
parties  think  they  have  got  the  best  of  it,  and  so  the 
alliance  was  very  soon  agreed  upon.  Euphemia  in- 
deed required  but  little  wooing.  Like  "Miss  Polly 
Dolly  Adeline  Amelia  Agnes  Low,"  whose  affecting 
history  is  recorded  in  an  olden  ballad,  she  had  long  an- 
ticipated the  important  event,  and  was  prepared  for  it. 

"  It  was  a  sad  thing,  to  be  sure,"  she  said,  behind  a 
white  handkerchief,  "  for  the  nestling  to  forsake  its 
home,  and  fly  away  to  a  distant  p-perch" — for  Miss 
Sharp  had  an  idea  of  consistency  in  her  metaphors — 
"  but  she  would  try  to  bear  it." 

**  For  my  sake,"  suggested  Egbert. 

"For  your  sake,"  said  the  nestling. 

And  so  it  was  all  settled,  and  a  day  was  named,  and 
the  preparations  went  rapidly  forward,  and  Sharp 
rode  out  to  look  at  the  estate  and  calculate  its  value 
in  the  hands  of  a  good  manager. 


68  SriJc   ffiv8t   of   tf^t  l^nicfeerijocfeers. 

In  the  mean  time  Egbert  continued  his  dangerous 
career ;  for  the  near  approach  of  his  wedding-day 
made  him  more  anxious  than  ever  to  replenish  his  ex- 
chequer. He  felt  deeply  the  want  of  available  funds, 
for  although  he  had  raised  large  sums  by  mortgaging 
his  land,  they  had  all  passed  into  the  hands  of  his 
adroit  friend.  He  was  resolved  now  to  strike  one 
Napoleon  blow  for  liberty,  and  having  fully  recovered 
his  ground,  to  be  more  wary  in  future  about  retaining 
it.  Elated  with  this  resolution,  which  seemed  so  easy 
of  accomplishment,  he  sought  out  Sinclair,  and  in  the 
evening,  in  company  with  that  gentleman,  paid  his 
accustomed  visit  to  Mynheer  Schnaffenswauzer's  ho- 
tel. He  felt  certain  that  he  should  win  on  that  night, 
and  he  resolved  to  risk  larger  sums  than  usual,  in 
order  that  a  short  run  of  luck  might  set  him  up.  He 
had  before,  on  several  occasions,  blamed  himself  for 
the  paltriness  of  his  ventures,  for,  by  an  unfortunate 
coincidence,  his  winnings  had  almost  always  occurred 
when  there  was  but  little  at  stake. 

"  I  have  no  more  money,"  he  said  to  Sinclair, 
laughing,  as  they  again  sat  down  at  the  fatal  table ; 
"  old  Levi  does  nothing  but  croak,  and  make  mouths, 
and  twirl  his  long  snaky  fingers  at  me,  when  I  apply 
to  him,  and  says  he  fears  my  estate  is  not  worth  what 
he  has  already  advanced  on  it — the  shrivelled  old 
sinner.     But  I  will  put  up  the  acres  to-night.  Captain 


2ri)c   JFivst    of   tljc   IS^niclterfiocfegrs.  69 

Sinclair,"  he  said,  speaking  with  desperation.  "You 
know  that  they  are  worth  thrice  the  amount  of  the 
Jew's  claim.  What  say  you  to  the  Harlem  farm, 
where  we  shot  that  fine  buck  yesterday,  against  a 
thousand  guineas  ?" 

"What!  play  you  so  largely  then?"  asked  the 
other,  with  a  surprised  air. 

The  gleam  of  insanity  was  in  the  eye  of  Groesbeck, 
as  he  replied :  "  Aye— aye — it's  this  light  play  that 
ruins  a  man.  Fortune  smiles  on  a  bold  venture. 
Come,  sir,  down  with  your  louis  d'ors  ;  I  long  to  hear 
them  chinking  in  my  pockets." 

The  Spaniard's  hesitation,  whether  real  or  affected, 
only  increased  the  eagerness  of  his  companion,  aird 
he  at  length  complied.  They  played,  and  Egbert  lost. 
His  eye  flashed  wildly — his  lips  were  compressed,  but 
he  did  not  complain.  Another  tract  and  another  was 
proposed,  and  still  Egbert  lost,  and  thus  half  an  hour 
elapsed,  with  but  little  variation  of  result.  Three- 
fourths  of  Groesbeck's  property  was  gone,  and  he  was 
about  pledging  the  remainder,  when  the  Captain, 
alarmed  lest  by  grasping  at  too  much  he  might  lose 
the  whole,  refused  to  play. 

''  The  luck  is  clearly  against  you,  to-night,"  he  said  ; 
"  do  not  tempt  Fortune  too  far." 

"  I  am  ruined  already,"  replied  Egbert,  dashing  his 


70  tH^t   ffivst    of    tt)c    23^nicfeert)ocfecvs. 

cards  to  the  floor  ;  "  three-fourths  of  my  estate  are  in 
your  hands  ;  the  rest  will  doubtless  be  the  Jew's." 

**  Very  true  ;  very  true,"  said  Sinclair,  blandly,  and 
drawing  on  his  gloves  ;  "Count  Sylvio " 

"  D — n  Count  Sylvio  !"  said  Egbert,  tearing  from 
his  pocket  a  bundle  of  old  papers,  and  flinging  them 
upon  the  table.  "  There  are  my  father's  title-deeds  ; 
have  your  deeds  prepared,  and  send  them  to  me  at 
once,  and  they  shall  be  executed ;  but  do  me  the 
favor,"  he  added  more  mildly,  "  to  keep  this  matter 
secret  for  one  week." 

"  Most  certainly,  sir,"  said  the  Captain,  clutching 
the  papers,  and  feeling  only  half  certain  of  his  good 
fortune. 

"  One  week,  mind — and  it  will  not  matter  so  very 
much  after  all.  Old  Hi"  he  muttered  to  himself,  thus 
abbreviating  his  expected  father-in-law's  name — ''Old 
Hi  is  worth  half  a  million." 

And  thus  the  gamblers  parted. 


^f>t   jFirst   of   tfje   2S.nicfectftockers.  71 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

It  was  on  a  calm  May  morning,  about  three  days 
prior  to  that  of  the  contemplated  nuptials,  that  the 
virtuous  Mr.  Sharp  was  interrupted  in  the  midst  of  a 
harangue  at  his  own  breakfast-table,  upon  the  heaven- 
liness  of  that  charity  which  begins  at  home,  by  a 
visit  from  a  friend  of  old  standing,  who  desired  to  see 
him  forthwith,  alone,  and  on  important  business.  Not 
a  little  surprised  was  the  lawyer  as,  followed  by  the 
fierce-looking  Captain  Ripley,  he  led  the  way  into  a 
private  apartment ;  for  that  enterprising  mariner  had 
now  been  in  port  so  long  that  it  was  scarcely  probable 
he  could  have  any  new  bargains  to  offer.  He  was 
not,  however,  kept  long  in  suspense.  Mr.  Ripley  had 
called  in  behalf  of  a  friend  who  was  about  to  leave 
the  country  for  a  season,  and  who,  having  recently 
become  an  extensive  landholder  in  the  province,  was 
desirous  of  procuring  a  faithful  agent  to  take  charge 
of  his  estates. 

Mr.  Sharp  was  delighted :  Mr.  Sharp  took  off  his 
spectacles  and  said  :  "  Is  it  possible  !  yes — certainly 
— very  discreet — h^ppy  to  render  him  any  service — 


72  CTfjc   iFitst   of   ti)e  UnCcfeerbocfee'r s. 

always  at  the  disposal  of  his  friends,"  &c.,  &c. ;  and 
then  Mr.  Sharp  put  his  spectacles  on  again,  and 
waited  meekly  for  further  developments.  They 
came.  Captain  Ripley  was  a  man  of  few  words,  and 
the  story  was  soon  told — as  soon,  that  is,  as  the  inter- 
ruptions of  the  awfully  incensed  lawyer  would  per- 
mit. It  is  probably  needless  to  say  that  Sinclair  was 
the  capitalist  alluded  to  by  Ripley,  who,  knowing 
nothing  of  the  intended  marriage  between  Egbert  and 
Miss  Sharp,  and  presuming  upon  the  iniquitous  bond 
of  secrecy  already  existing  between  himself  and  Hi- 
ram, had  not  hesitated  to  hint  broadly  at  the  means  by 
which  his  friend  had  acquired  the  Groesbeck  estates. 

"  Mr.  Ripley,"  said  Hiram,  as  soon  as  his  rage  had 
subsided  to  the  speaking  point,  "your  friend  is  a 
swindler,  and  you  are  his  accomplice,  and  the  property 
must  be  refunded  to  Mr.  Groesbeck  at  once,  sir,  or  I  will 
arrest  you  both,  and  for  far  graver  crimes  than  this." 

Sharp  did  not  see — it  would  have  been  better  for 
him  if  he  had — the  demoniac  scowl  and  baleful  glare 
which  passed,  like  a  cloud  and  a  flash,  across  the 
sailor's  face. 

''  You  talk  boldly,  Mr.  Sharp,"  he  said  with  com- 
posure. 

"  I  do,  sir,"  continued  the  lawyer  ;  ''I  am  a  bold  man  ; 
it  is  my  business  to  be  so.  And  mind,  sir,  I  will  have 
no  parleying  or  delay  in  this  matter  :  remember  that 


there  are  trees  on  Gibbet  Island  that  bear  such  fruit 
as  you  and  your  swindling  companion." 

"  You  are  a  bold  man,"  replied  Ripley,  muttering  a 
long  foreign  oath,  which  sounded  like  the  rattling  of 
shot  against  the  inside  of  his  teeth  ;  "  but  what  must 
be,  must  be.  I  will  talk  with  Sinclair  about  it,  and 
see  what  can  be  done." 

*'  You  had  better — you  had  better,"  returned  Sharp, 
rapidly. 

"  I  will  see  you " 

"  This  afternoon." 

"  I  will ;"  and  the  sailor  departed. 

Manifest  was  Mr.  Sharp's  perturbation.  He  fol- 
lowed his  visitor  to  the  door,  and  followed  him  with 
his  eyes  far  down  the  street,  and  waited  anxiously  for 
his  return.  He  had  known  nothing  before  of  Sinclair's 
connection  with  Ripley,  and  although  he  had  long 
looked  upon  the  former  as  some  worthless  adventurer, 
he  had  supposed  him  to  be  of  a  higher  grade  than 
the  pirate ;  for  such,  he  did  not  seek  to  conceal  from 
his  own  mind,  was  Ralph.  Before  others  he  of  course 
scouted  the  idea  of  such  a  suspicion,  for  his  own 
business  connection  with  the  sailor  and  his  companions 
had  of  late  been  scarcely  cloaked.  His  present  di- 
lemma was  therefore  a  serious  one  ;  for  even  if  he 
had  possessed  sufficient  evidence  for  the  arrest  of 
Ralph  and  his  friend  on  so  grave  a  charge  as  piracy. 


14:  ST  ^  c   iF  i  f  s  t  0  f    1 1)  c    3^  u  I  c  fe  c  r  li  0  c  fe  c  r  s . 

he  would  by  so  doing  impugn  his  own  moral  char- 
acter, a  fabric  which  stood  already  on  too  tottering  a 
basis  to  bear  any  very  heavy  concussion.  He  would 
also  put  a  stop  to  a  very  lucrative  business,  derived 
not  alone  from  the  harmless  little  Zephyr,  Captain 
Ripley,  of  and  for  Lisbon,  now  lying  at  anchor 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  just  out  of  reach  of 
the  guns  of  the  fort ;  but  from  several  other  similar 
craft  floating  under  the  colors  of  Portugal  and  Spain, 
and  visiting  at  times  the  harbor  of  Manhattan.  Be- 
sides all  this  there  was,  in  reality,  no  sufficient  legal 
proof  against  either  Ralph  or  his  vessel,  and  he  knew 
very  well  that  Lovelace  would  never  consent  to 
embroil  himself,  uselessly,  with  a  set  of  desperadoes, 
who,  in  one  way  or  another,  would  be  sure  to  have 
their  revenge.  He  had  heard,  however,  that  outlaws 
of  this  description  were  proverbially. timid,  beneath 
all  their  outside  swagger,  and  his  hope  lay  chiefly  in 
the  fears  which  he  had  evidently  excited  in  Ripley's 
breast.  Several  hours  elapsed,  and  the  day  was  on 
the  decline,  when  Ralph  returned;  a  tall,  stout  man 
he  was,  brown  as  a  butternut,  and  sporting  bushy 
black  whiskers  and  a  moustache.  The  lawyer's  mind 
was  wonderfully  relieved  on  seeing  him,  for  there 
was  such  a  good-natured,  playful  smile  upon  his  face, 
and  his  glittering  teeth  shone  out  so  frankly  from  be- 
tween their  black  borders,  that  he  felt  satisfied  all  was 


E^c  ffixst  of   tf)e  B-nicfeerbotfecrs.  76 

right.  They  conversed  awhile  apart,  but  the  store 
was  thronged  with  people,  and  there  was  so  little 
room  for  privacy,  that  Hiram,  at  the  suggestion  of 
his  visitor,  took  his  hat,  and  they  sauntered  slowly 
down  the  street.  The  Captain  talked  rapidly,  and 
seemingly  to  the  point,  for  his  auditor  was  very  atten- 
tive. He  grew  eloquent,  indeed,  and  his  arms  flew 
about  like  flails,  and  his  head  went  bobbing  in  every 
direction. 

"My  friend,  Captain  Sinclair,"  he  said,  "is  a  gen- 
tleman of  the  strictest  honor,  I  do  assure  you,  sir  ;  and 
he  charges  me  to  say  to  you,  that  if  he  could  only 
once  have  dreamed  of  such  a  thing — if  he  could  just 
have  dreamed  of  it,  sir,  that  your  daughter  was  to  be 
married  to  Mr.  Groesbeck,  he  certainly  would  not — 

would  not — have — have " 

"  Fleeced  him  ?"  suggested  Hiram. 
''  No,  no,  no  !  my  dear  sir,  that's  not  the  word  ;  you 
are  facetious,  you  are,  indeed,  sir." 

To  this  and  a  great  deal  more,  Sharp  listened  anx- 
iously, expecting  momentarily  to  hear  something  to 
the  point.  They  had  left  the  main  thoroughfare  to 
avoid  listeners,  and  were  strolling  through  a  by-street 
towards  the  river,  at  a  point  but  little  frequented,  and 
near  to  which  the  water  was  fringed  with  a  thin 
growth  of  bushes.  Hiram  had  been  all  eagerness 
and  delight ;  for  he  was  too  cunning  to  be  taken  in  by 


•76  E\)t  jFivst   of   tf)c   l^nicfeer&ocfters. 

any  professions  of  regard  on  the  part  of  Ralph  and 
Sinclair,  and  attributed  all  his  companion's  civility  to 
the  fright  which  his  threats  had  occasioned  him. 
Indeed,  he  had  been  so  accustomed  of  late  to  see 
people  cringe  to  him,  that  he  had  begun  to  fancy 
himself  a  man  of  extraordinary  importance.  But 
somehow  or  other  there  did  not  seem  to  be  quite  that 
degree  of  fear  manifested  by  his  companion  which  he 
had  expected,  and  he  recalled  all  his  former  sternness 
of  manner  that  he  might  re-awaken  it,  and  bring 
matters  to  a  more  speedy  conclusion. 

**  Well,  well,  Mr.  Ripley,  this  is  all  well  enough," 
he  said,  "but  where  are  the  deeds?  These,  you 
know,  must  be  returned  at  once." 

"  The  deeds — ah,  yes.  Captain  Sinclair  says — this 
way  a  little,  the  walking  is  better,"  taking  a  side-cut 
across  an  unfenced  field,  and  still  towards  the  river 
and  the  bushes — "  Captain  Sinclair  says  that  he  will 
surrender  them  with  the  greatest  pleasure  in  the 
world " 

Hiram's  eyes  sparkled 


*'Upon  your  paying  him  ten  thousand  guineas  !" 
"  The  scoundrel !"  exclaimed  Sharp,  blinded  again 
by  sudden  rage  ;  "  does  he  dare,  do  you  dars  to  make 
such  a  proposal  ?     Do  you  remember  what  I  said  to 
you  this  morning  ?" 

"  I  DO,"  returned   Ripley,  through  his   teeth,  and 


STije   jFivst   of   tfje   3^ni  cfeerftocfe crs.  11 

letting  his  brawny  hand  fall  with  the  clutch  of  a  tiger 
upon  the  shoulder  of  his  companion  ;  "  I  remember  it 
well"  he  said,  dragging  the  other  within  the  cover  of 
the  bushes  :  "  you  said  there  were  trees  on  Gibbet  Island 
which  bore  such  fruit  as  I  and  my  swindling  com- 
panion." 

The  pirate's  face  was  changed  to  that  of  a  demon ; 
his  eyes  were  bloodshot ;  his  nostrils  were  dilated ; 
his  cheeks  were  flushed  ;  and  his  whole  frame  quiv- 
ered with  the  intensity  of  his  rage. 

"  You,  Hiram  Sharp,  who  have  fattened  on  my 
favors — whose  whole  life  has  been  full  of  fraud  and 
villainy — who  yourself  deserve  the  death  of  a  dog — 
do  you  talk  to  me  about  the  gibbet  /" 

"  My  good  sir,  I  didn't  mean " 

"Nay,  it  is  too  late  /"  thundered  Ralph,  shaking  his 
victim,  who  writhed,  impotently,  in  his  grasp. 

"  Really,  really,  my  dear  Captain  Ripley,  let  us  go 
back, — never  mind  the  deeds;  never  mind  the  prop- 
erty." 

''  Itis  too  late  /^' 

"  I  will  pay  the  ten  thousand " 

"  It  is  too  late!" 

A  long,  low  whistle  issued  from  the  lips  of  Ralph, 
and  two  agile  seamen  sprang  up  the  bank  and  stood 
at  his  side.  Bound,  gagged,  dragged  down  the  de- 
clivitv,  and  thrust  into  a  small  boat  which   lay  con- 


"78  E.f)e   jFivst  of   t!)c  1S.nicfecri)ocfeer3. 

cealed  beneath  the  bushes,  Sharp's  faihng  senses 
became  conscious  only  of  a  rapid  transition  across  the 
water,  of  being  hoisted  up  the  side  of  a  ship,  and 
thrown,  like  a  log,  into  some  dark  corner. 

Ralph  had  remained  on  the  beach,  and  strolling 
leisurely  back  to  the  city,  he  took  especial  pains  to 
exhibit  himself  at  all  his  accustomed  places  of  resort. 
He  even  called  at  Sharp's  shop,  and,  not  finding  its 
proprietor  at  home,  patiently  awaited  his  return, 
smoking  meanwhile  a  fantastically  carved  pipe,  and 
imbibing  a  liberal  potation  of  his  friend's  double- 
reduced  Monongahela. 

Hiram  in  the  mean  time  remained  in  the  dreadful 
situation  which  has  been  described,  a  prey  to  the 
most  excruciating  terror.  A.I1  his  efforts  to  move  or 
speak  were  unavailing,  and  the  only  sound  that  reached 
his  ears  was  an  occasional  coarse  jibe  upon  his  own 
misfortunes,  followed  by  fiendish  laughter.  Hours 
elapsed,  he  knew  not  how  many.  The  day  went  and 
came,  and  there  he  lay.  But  at  length  there  was  the 
sound  of  an  approaching  boat,  and  cheerful  voices 
were  heard  without.  Somebody  had  come  ;  there 
was  a  faint  gleam  of  hope  in  his  breast.  His  son  had 
proved  vigilant  and  shrewd  ;  had  suspected  his  fate  ; 
had  incited  the  governor  to  action ;  had  arrested  the 
kidnappers,  and  flown,  armed  with  official  authority, 
to  his  relief.      Such   was    the  dream  of  a   moment. 


B\)t   jFivst   ot   tt)e    SSKitickcvbocfecrs.  79 

and  in  the  next,  Ralph  and  Sinclair  stood  before  him 
— smiling/  Oh,  how  dreadful  was  that  smile  !  His 
whole  frame  shuddered  as  he  saw  it,  for  it  spoke  of 
the  poniard,  the  gurgling  waters,  and  the  shark  !  He 
was  brought  forward,  and  the  gag  was  removed  from 
his  mouth,  but  he  could  not  speak.  His  feet  were 
next  pinioned  together,  yet  only  by  gestures  could 
he  express  his  agony. 

"  Bring  a  small  shot  forward  !"  shouted  Ralph. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  was  the  quick  response,  and  a 
twelve  pound  ball  was  brought. 

"Fasten  it  to  his  feet,"  he  said,  turning  away,  "  and 
when  it  is  quite  dark,  call  me." 

Again  the  answer  was  prompt,  and  the  orders  were 
obeyed,  and  Ralph  and  Sinclair  descended  to  the 
cabin.  Hiram's  senses  seemed  spell-bound,  as  it 
were,  by  some  hideous  nightmare  ;  but  he  recovered 
his  voice  at  length,  and  called  faintly  to  one  of  his 
guards.     He  came  nearer. 

"  Do  you  want  to  be  rich?"  whispered  the  prisoner, 
"  very  rich  ?— do  you  want  gold — gold — ten  thousand 
real  glittering  guineas  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  sailor. 

"  Help  me  to  escape,  and  you  shall  have  it  all — all 
— and  more." 

"  There  are  trees  on  Gibbet  Island,  that  bear  such 
fruit  as  weV^  was  the  taunting  reply. 


80  a:i)e   ffixnt   ot   ti)c   l&nictterbocitcrai 

It  was  as  if  some  mocking  demon  was  ever  echoing 
back  the  words  of  his  rash  threat.  He  was  about  to 
renew  his  efforts  when  Ralph  and  Sinclair  approached. 
The  evening  had  set  in,  and  it  was  already  sufficiently 
dark  to  prevent  any  possibility  of  observation  from 
the  shore.  At  their  approach  Hiram  poured  forth 
the  most  frantic  cries  for  pity,  and  Sinclair  seemed 
suddenly  to  relent. 

"  Stop,  Ralph,"  he  said,  as  they  were  dragging  their 
victim  to  the  side  of  the  ship.  "  We  sail  in  a  few 
weeks — let's  carry  the  old  sinner  to  the  Pelews." 

"  Yes,  gentlemen,  yes,"  cried  Sharp — "  do — do — I'll 
Christianize  them." 

"  I'll  not  consent  to  it,"  exclaimed  Ripley,  with  an 
oath — "  he  would  have  hung  us  ;  let  him  die — I  won't 
consent  to  it." 

"  Your  consent  won't  be  asked,  Mr.  Ripley,"  re- 
turned the  other,  coolly.  "  You  forget  yourself,  I 
think — perhaps  you  have  been  a  little  too  long  on 
shore." 

*'  Very  true.  Captain — it's  for  you  to  say,  of  course, 
but  it's  my  game,  and  curse  me,  if  I  think  it's  hardly 
fair." 

"  Oh,  never  mind,  Ralph  ;  I'll  promise  you  he  never 
sets  foot  on  these  shores  again,  and  that's  enough  for 
our  purposes." 

Poor  Hiram  had  remained  looking  from  one  to  the 


STftc    JFivst    of   tf)c   2S.uicfecri)ocfeevs.  81 


other  of  his  captors  darmg  this  colloquy,  in  a  tumult 
of  dreadful  emotions  ;  but  when  he  felt  himself  re- 
lieved from  the  prospect  of  immediate  death,  his 
delight  was  unbounded.  The  shot  was  removed,  and 
he  was  secured,  still  bound,  in  a  small  room  below. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Rudolph  Groesbeck  did  not  cherish  his  grief,  or 
seek  to  perpetuate  an  illusory  hope.  But  let  him  not 
be  blamed  if  he  could  not  at  once  uproot  the  gentle 
flower  of  affection,  which,  dear  to  him  as  the  stricken 
gourd  to  the  rebellious  prophet  of  Israel,  had  sprung 
into  existence  with  almost  equal  celerity.  Isolated 
from  the  ordinary  ties  of  life,  it  was  natural  that  his 
one  attachment  should  be  intense  and  strong.  He 
struggled  indeed  to  free  himself  from  its  power,  but, 
like  the  broken  slumbers  of  morning,  it  still  returned 
to  enthrall  him,  and  like  disturbed  dreams  its  gorgeous 
fragments  still  re-united,  and  glowed  as  brilliantly  as 
ever.  The  winter  had  passed  slowly  away,  and  the 
mellow  skies  of  May  were  bending  above   Fort  Or- 


B2  2Ct)«    iftvst    of    li)c    aanicfecrbocfecrs 


ange,  and  the  quiet  little  hamlet  which  surrounded 
it.  It  was  one  of  those  bright,  mild  days  of  spring, 
when  the  flooding  sunlight  warms  without  oppressing, 
when  the  air  is  scented  with  the  breath  of  blossoms,  and 
when  children  laugh  beside  the  rippling  streams,  and 
shout,  because  the  pretty  birds,  long  exiled,  have  re- 
turned. The  bright  green  grass,  trod  by  many  tiny  feet, 
was  spangled  with  the  yellow  leontodon,  whose  golden 
tops  were  glittering  on  every  side,  plenteous  as  guineas 
in  a  miser's  dream.  The  economic  bee,  impatient  of 
the  tardy  thyme's  delay,  and  looking  vainly  for  the 
sweet  pea's  swinging  cup,  sipped  daintily  at  these  less 
honeyed  founts,  and  then  passed  hastily  away.  There 
was  beauty  and  melody  in  the  forests  and  the  fields — 
on  the  broad  blue  river,  and  in  the  over-arching  sky, 
where  many  little  wings  were  waving,  and  where  the 
gleeful  swallow,  caracoling  gracefully,  leapt  laughing 
through  the  buoyant  air. 

But  it  was  high  noon  in  Albany,  the  hour  of  sleep 
from  time  immemorial  to  the  Netherlanders,  and  in 
peaceful  oblivion  were  its  ancient  burghers  wrapt. 
There  was  fortunately  an  English  garrison  at  the 
fort,  or  the  wily  Hurons  would  have  found  it  as  safe 
an  hour  for  attack  as  the  noon  of  night ;  and  it  is  even 
reported  on  as  good  authority  as  that  of  Herr  Long- 
bow Vondermarvel,  a  now  neglected  chronicler,  that 
in  earlier  days  the  Dutch  sentinels  had  been  scalped 


2rf)c   jFU-st   of   t\)e  mnicfeefI)ocfeers.  8? 

while  asleep  upon  the  walls,  and  had  only  discovered 
their  loss    on  awaking  at  the  usual  hour.     The    re- 
gretted trophies,  however,  it  is  said,  had  beqg  subse- 
quently  returned  to  them    by  the  taunting  foe,  well 
cured   and  smoked,  and   suitable  for  use  as  tobacco- 
pouches.     But  there  was  a  sudden  commotion  in  the 
sleep-enveloped  village,  on  the    day  which  has   just 
been    described.     Doors  and   window-shutters  were 
thrown  violently  open  in  every  direction,  and  heads 
were  peering  out  and  clamorous  voices  were  heard  ; 
and  one  little  bandy-legged  fellow,  with  a  short  pipe 
fitted  immovably  in  one  corner  of  his  mouth,  was  fly- 
ing about  from  house  to  house,  sputtering  forth  some- 
thing in  deep  Dutch  which  elicited  a  general  jabbering 
response  from  all  quarters,  whether  of  joy  or  grief  it 
was  difficult  to  tell.     The   men   shouted,  the  women 
yelled,  the  hens  cackled,  and  the  dogs  frisked  about, 
and   snuffed  the  air,  and  barked,  and  wondered  what 
the  deuce  was  in  the  wind. 

"  Who  saw  it,  Hans  Spaflenswelter  ?"  asked  old 
David  Groesbeck,  who  had  come  growling  from  his 
sleep, — "  that's  what  I  want  to  know — who  saw  it  ?" 
"  Josh  Vanderwater  saw  it,"  was  the  triumphant 
reply  ;  "  Josh  Vanderwater,  and  you'll  allow  he's  got 
eyes." 

An  apparent  commotion  at  the  fort  was  also  per- 
ceptible, for  the  commandant   and  half  the  garrison 


^4  Kf>t   ffivBt  of    t\)t   ISkixicfeerbocltera. 

were  on  the  walls,  shading  their  eyes  with  their  hands, 
and  peering   away  down   the  river.      There  was    a 
sloop  (fining  up  the  Hudson,  that  is  to  say,  she  was 
lying  becalmed  about  ten   miles   distant,  and  might 
safely  be  expected  in  within  forty-eight  hours.     She 
had  come  all  the  way  from  New  York,  and  had  es- 
caped all  the  dangers  of  that  long  and  perilous  route. 
She  would  bring  news  from  the  city,  news  of  distant 
friends,  news,  perhaps,  even  from  Faderland,  that  dis- 
tant world,  to  which  the  memory  of  many  an  ancient 
Hollander   still  clung  with  a  fervent  love,  not  to  be 
superseded   or   effaced.     Well   might   they  rejoice  ! 
Well    might  the  old  cronies  congregate  together  on 
the  sunny  beach,  and  shake  hands,  and  laugh,  and  an- 
ticipate  the  tidings  !     How  did    they  know  but  the 
lower  fort  and  city  were   again  in  the  hands  of  the 
Dutch  ?  for  many  were  still  firm  in  the  belief  of  such 
a  restoration.     Ah,  how  would  their  old  hearts  have 
bounded  at   such  tidings !      How  would  they    have 
rushed  with   a  shout  to  the  feebly  garrisoned  fort — 
pulled  down  its  hated  flag,  and  raised  the  banners  of 
the  mighty  states  of  Holland  to  the  northern  breeze  ! 
Well  might  they  rejoice,  for  they  were  a  noble-hearted, 
simple-minded  race,  full  of  honest  patriotism,  and  lofty 
courage,  and  patient  endurance. 

Rudolph  alone  heard  of  the  approach  of  the  vessel 
without  joy.  To  him  it  could  only  bring  tidings  of 
sjrief     He  would  hear  of  the  consummation  of  his  mis- 


ery  ;  he  would  hear  that  an  eternal  barrier  was  placed 
between  himself  and  the  one  object  of  his  affections. 
Such  were  his  thoughts,  and  when,  on  the  next  day, 
a  favoring  breeze  brought  the  sloop  into  port,  and  the 
city  rushed  en  masse  to  the  wharf,  he  strolled  nerv- 
ously away  to  the  forests  that  he  might  postpone  for 
a  little  while  the  certainty  of  his  woe.  He  was  not 
missed  from  that  excited  throng,  where  friends  aboard 
were  shouting  to  friends  on  shore ;  where  old  men 
tottered  on  their  canes,  and  leaned  earnestly  for- 
ward, and  placed  their  hands  behind  their  ears  to 
catch  the  shouted  tidings ;  where  each  eagerJy  asked 
what  it  was,  and  none  could  tell,  and  hope,  and  fear, 
and  expectation  reigned,  and  Babel's  uproar  was  all 
renewed.  Clustered  like  bees  upon  the  pier,  mounted 
on  boxes  and  barrels,  clinging  to  posts  and  corners, 
and  all  as  eager  and  delighted  as  children  at  a  show, 
thus  the  people  watched  and  waited  for  the  slow- 
moving  sloop. 

"Hefyou  got  any  latters  ?"  shouted  old  Myndert 
Van  Schaick,  from  the  top  of  a  populous  hogshead, 
and  waving  his  cane  ^to  attract  attention  ;  and  the 
reply  was  in  pantomime,  by  the  captain  taking  from 
his  capacious  waistcoat  pocket  a  large  package,  and 
holding  it  up  to  view,  thereby  visibly  increasing  the 
excitement  on  shore. 

"  Is  the  ship  in  ?"     ''  Is  there  any  news  from  Hoi- 


^  Slje   JFirst  of  tt)c  K-nickcrlJocfecrs. 

land?"  "What  tidings  from  the  war?"  "What 
news  of  Admiral  De  Ruyter  ?"  "  How's  old  Governor 
Stuyvesant  ?"  such  were  the  questions  resounding  on 
all  sides. 

*'  There  is  a  ship  just  in,"  was  the  reply,  sung  out 
by  Stentorian  lungs  from  the  vessel  ;  "news  of  a 
great — naval — battle  ;  Admiral  De  Ruyter  v\c4or-r-r- 
ious !"  and  then  the  welkin  rang  with  huzzas,  and 
tears  gushed  forth,  and  congratulations  were  ex- 
changed on  all  sides.  For  this,  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  the  period  when  Charles  the  Second  and  Louis 
the  Fourteenth  had  coolly  resolved  to  slice  up  the 
Lowlands,  and  allowing  the  Prince  of  Orange  a 
moiety  for  his  connivance,  to  divide  the  residue  be- 
tween themselves — a  very  fair  business  transaction, 
to  which  the  Dutch  were  unreasonable  enough  to  ob- 
ject, and  flying  to  their  arms,  or  rather  to  their  fleets, 
under  the  invincible  De  Ruyter,  fought  three  drawn 
battles  with  the  allied  navies  of  France  and  England, 
and  taught  them  not  to  look  for  honey  in  hornets' 
nests.  It  was  a  tyrant's  war,  waged  in  opposition  to 
the  sympathies  of  the  British  people,  who,  with  unex- 
ampled magnanimity,  wept  at  the  reverses  of  their 
foes,  and  rejoiced  at  their  own  defeats. 

It  was  not  until  the  tumult  had  subsided,  and  the 
crowd  had  dispersed,  that  Rudolph,  still  futilely  try- 
ing to  throw  aside   his  dejection,   proceeded   slowly 


5ri)c   jFirst    of   tj^c   l^ixickcrbockers.  ^ 

homeward.  He  looked  suspiciously  at  every  one 
whom  he  encountered,  dreading  momentarily  to 
hear  from  some  officious  friend  the  tidings  which 
were  ever  uppermost  in  his  mind.  Resolving  at 
length  to  know  the  worst,  he  drew  near  to  a  knot  of 
burghers  who  were  congregated  at  a  corner,  engaged 
in  animated  discussion  ;  but  all  that  he  heard  was  the 
praises  of  Admiral  Ruyter.  Disappointed,  yet  re- 
lieved, he  tried  a  second  group,  with  a  similar  result; 
the  victory  was  the  theme,  and  the  Admiral  was  still 
the  toast.  He  approached  the  village  inn,  the  porch 
of  which  was  darkened  with  an  unusual  cloud,  and 
decorated  with  a  double  row  of  smokers,  but  still  the 
word  was  Ruyter — Ruyter — Ruyter.  He  began  to 
partake  of  the  general  sympathy,  which,  under  other 
circumstances,  he  would  have  been  foremost  to  en- 
tertain ;  but  private  griefs  had  too  far  usurped  his 
thoughts  to  admit  of  enthusiasm  in  national  affairs. 
He  hastened  home,  where  he  was  met  by  his  good- 
natured  uncle,  with  an  open  letter  in  his  hand,  the 
reading  of  which  he  had  not  yet  completed. 
He  proceeded  rapidly  to  relate  to  Rudolph  the 
only  prominent  item  of  news  of  which  he  had 
become  possessed,  which  was  the  extraordinary  mis- 
fortune of  Evert  Knickerbocker.  Startling  as  was 
this  intelligence,  which  was  discussed  at  length,  and 
with  deep  regret,  it   conveyed  no   gleam  of  hope  to 


Ite  Ef)t  jFivst    of   tl)c   mniclterljocitcrs. 

Rudolph's  mind,  for  he  had  no  doubt  that  the  nuptials 
of  Egbert  and  Effie  were  ah'eady  solemnized,  and  he 
now  waited  patiently  until  he  should  hear  it  an- 
nounced. The  old  man  put  on  his  spectacles,  and 
holding  the  letter  up  to  the  light,  resumed  its  perusal. 
Various  desultory  items  of  intelligence  next  followed, 
and  Rudolph  listened  with  exemplary  patience,  among 
other  things,  to  tidings  of  a  famous  sheep-shearing, 
off  what  is  now  called  the  Battery,  but  more  properly 
the  Buttery,  owing  to  certain  pugnacious  propensities 
which  were  wont  to  be  exhibited  by  the  fathers  of 
the  flock  on  washing  and  shearing  days.  Next  fol- 
lowed a  glowing  description  of  the  recent  festivities 
of  May  day,  at  Bowling  Green,  which,  although  rea- 
sonably spirited,  the  writer  grieved  to  say  were  some- 
what degenerating.  They  were  nothing,  indeed,  he 
said,  to  what  they  had  been  in  the  good  old  days  of 
Governor  Stuyvesant,  when  the  whole  town  was 
given  up  to  merriment,  and  the  bell  was  rung,  and 
the  flag  hoisted,  and  the  old  governor  himself  was 
seen,  despite  his  wooden  leg,  dancing  with  the  best  of 
them,  and  always  choosing  the  prettiest  lasses  for  his 
partners.  But  now,  alas,  Stuyvesant  kept  aloof,  for, 
like  Samson  at  Gaza,  he  was  unwilling  to  make  sport 
for  the  Philistines.  Indeed,  the  presence  of  the  gay 
English  cavaliers,  and  their  stately  beauties,  who 
looked   curiously  on   in  the   distance,  imposed  a  sad 


E\it   ffixstoi  t|)e  B-nicifecrbocfects.  89 

restraint  upon  the  mirth  of  the  merry  throng,  and 
made  many  a  timid  maiden  shrink  from  observation 
behind  the  ample  robes  of  some  staid  and  portly  vrow. 
They  had  fun,  though,  not  a  little,  quoth  the  gossip- 
ing correspondent  of  uncle  David,  and  he  proceeded 
next  to  tell  of  a  famous  game  at  bowling  on  the  green, 
m  which  Alderman  Hoppman  had  made  a  remark- 
able twelve  strike,  by  knocking  down,  with  a  single 
ball,  the  ten  pins  of  the  alley,  and  the  two  pins  of 
Mynheer  Stoffle  Ocobock,  who  stood  stooping  over 
the  planks  at  the  wrong  end,  eagerly  watching  the 
effect  of  the  throw. 

Rudolph,  as  may  well  be  supposed,  was  not  in  a 
frame  of  mind  to  be  amused  by  these  tidings,  and  he 
was  about  turning  away,  when  his  attention  was 
arrested  by  the  mention  of  his  brother's  name. 

"  Egbert  Groesbeck,"  continued  the  old  man,  still 
reading  aloud,  "  is — to  be — married — " 

Rudolph's  heart  stood  still — 

"  In — about — three — weeks — to — to" — a  pause  of 
considerable  length  ensued — 

**  Effie,  uncle,  Effie  Knickerbocker"  exclaimed  Ru- 
dolph at  length,  with  desperation,  and  anxious  to  have 
it  done  with. 

"  To — to — "  said  the  old  man,  holding  the  letter 
still    closer,  and   peering   earnestly   at   the   puzzling 
characters  ;  "  to — to — " 
6* 


90  SEJjc   iFUst   of   tjje  JSinickevhockexs. 

"Effie,  I  tell  you,"  said  Rudolph,  who,  unable 
longer  to  endure  the  torture,  seized  his  hat  and  was 
hastening  from  the  room,  when  his  uncle  began  to 
spell  the  refractory  word. 

"  E-u-p-h,  Eff " 

Three  chairs  lay  rolling  about  the  floor,  which  had 
obstructed  Rudolph's  leap  to  his  uncle's  side ;  he 
snatched  the  letter  from  the  astonished  old  man,  and 
holding  it  with  a  hand  that  shook  till  the  paper  rat- 
tled with  the  motion,  he  read  the  name,  "  Eupheraia 
Sharp  /" 

"  The  scoundrel  !"  exclaimed  old  Groesbeck,  heed- 
less of  his  nephew's  emotion. 

Flushed  with  excitement,  Rudolph  tarried  long 
enough  only  to  read  a  few  succeeding  paragraphs  in 
the  letter,  confirmatory  of  the  news,  and  then  hastened 
to  seek  some  retirement  where  he  might  give  way  to 
his  emotions.  Hope  had  burst  upon  his  mind  with  a 
radiance  almost  too  dazzling  for  endurance.  Effie 
was  free,  and  was  no  longer  separated  from  him  by 
the  formidable  barrier  of  wealth.  She  was  free  to  be 
wooed  and  won  by  him.  How  his  rapt  heart  exulted 
at  the  thought,  which,  for  a  while,  buoyed  him  up 
above  all  doubts  and  apprehensions.  True,  he  was 
poor,  but  poverty  is  a  remediable  evil.  The  gates  of 
wealth  and  power  must  ever  yield  to  the  magical 
sesame  of  an  iron  resolution  ;  and  what  would  he  not 


iJtjc   JFirst   of  tj)c   Unicfeerftocfters.  91 


dare  and  do,  inspirited  by  such  a  hope  ?  The  world 
from  that  moment,  assumed  a  new  aspect  to  his  view. 
Life  was  no  longer  a  load  to  be  endured,  but  a  gift  to 
be  prized  and  cherished.  The  earth  was  changed 
from  a  vast  prison-house  to  a  blooming  Paradise, 
teeming  with  beauty  and  redolent  of  fragrance.  Oh 
blessed  Hope  !  if  thy  sister.  Faith,  can  remove  moun- 
tains in  the  natural  world,  thou  canst  remove  them 
from  the  human  heart.  It  was  with  no  light  regret 
that  Rudolph's  friends  heard  him  announce  his  deter- 
mination to  return  to  New  York  in  the  vessel  which 
had  just  arrived,  and  which  was  to  descend  the  river 
within  a  few  weeks.  But  entreaties  were  unavailing 
to  prolong  his  stay.  Let  us  behold  him  then  again 
voyaging  the  mighty  Hudson,  and,  after  a  speedy 
trip  of  twelve  days,  once  more  arrived  at  the 
metropolis. 


02  E\)c   iFirsr  of    ttjc   Uni  cU  cttocfecrs 


CHAPTER    X, 

The  time  of  Rudolph's  return  was  about  ten  days 
prior  to  the  period  appointed  for  the  nuptials  of  Eg- 
bert and  Miss  Sharp.  That  contemplated  event,  how- 
ever, was  far  from  being  a  matter  of  public  notoriety, 
and  was  entirely  unknown  to  Mr.  Knickerbocker, 
who  continued  to  cherish  the  hope  that  Egbert's  es- 
trangement was  only  temporary,  and  that  he  would 
yet  prove  mindful  of  his  obligations.  He  knew 
but  Httle  indeed  of  the  true  character  of  the  indivi- 
dual whom  he  thus  desired  as  the  protector  of 
his  daughter,  and  still  less  of  Effie's  feelings  in  regard 
to  him.  Long  accustomed  to  wealth,  and  to  the  influ- 
ence which  it  commands,  he  had  insensibly  acquired 
the  habit  of  considering  it  essential  to  happiness,  and 
nothing  gave  him  more  uneasiness  than  the  dread  of 
leaving  his  child  unprotected  by  so  powerful  an  segis. 
Although  Egbert's  vices  were  radical,  and  indicated 
almost  a  total  absence  of  moral  principle,  his  manner, 
as  has  been  said,  was  frank  and  engaging.  Smiles 
were  ever  at  his  command — counterfeits,  of  course,  of 
the  heart's  true  currency,  but  which,  like  other  coun- 


2ri)c  jfivst   of   t!)e   B-nicfeer&octtcrs.  93 

terfeits,  were  freely  dispensed.     It  was  not  strange, 
therefore,  that  the  guileless  Evert,  who  was  possessed 
of    that    blessed    spirit   of  charity   which  "thinketh 
no  evil,"  still  retained  confidence  in  the  son  of  his  de- 
ceased friend. 

There  was  one  exception  to  the  universality  of  Eg- 
bert's smiles.  He  had  none  for  Rudolph  ;  and  so  far 
from  welcoming  him  home,  gave  manifest  tokens  of 
dissatisfaction  at  his  return.  The  intercourse  of  the 
brothers  was  of  course,  therefore,  of  .the  most  limited 
kind,  for  however  Rudolph's  generous  nature  would 
have  induced  him  to  cultivate  a  more  fraternal  feel- 
ing, his  advances  were  ever  coldly  repulsed,  and  were 
even  openly  attributed  to  motives  of  personal  interest. 

Rudolph  was  fortunately  charged  with  some  friend- 
ly messages  from  his  uncle  to  Mr.  Knickerbocker, 
and,  as  may  be  imagined,  he  was  not  tardy  in  calling 
to  deliver  them.  As  he  approached  Evert's  residence, 
he  saw  the  old  man  from  a  distance,  now  strollino- 
slowly  through  his  garden,  and  now  leaning  on  his 
cane  at  the  water-side,  and  looking  wistfully  in 
the  direction  of  his  lost  estates.  As  he  came  nearer, 
he  saw  Effie  also,  restraining  her  buoyant  steps,  and 
walking  slowly  at  her  dear  father's  side ;  and  a  still 
nearer  view  would  have  shown  him  that  her  face  was 
radiant  with  smiles,  and  that  her  lips  were  prattling 
of  hope,  and  that  she  was  full  of  little  devices  to  win 


94  B^t   ffixst   of   t!)e   mn  tckc  rftorfecr  s 


the  heart-broken  Evert  from  his  grief;  for  she  trem- 
bled, poor  EfFie,  for  the  failing  reason  of  her  sire,  as, 
with  his  thin  locks  streaming  to  the  wind,  he  still 
gazed  silently  away — far  away — toward  the  miles  of 
blooming  fields  and  waving  forests  which  were  even 
yet  called  by  his  name. 

Although  nearly  a  stranger  to  the  family,  Rudolph 
received  a  cordial  welcome  from  the  hospitable  old 
man,  who  congratulated  him  on  his  safe  return,  and 
evinced  much  curiosity  on  the  subject  of  his  adven- 
tures.    Effie,  delighted  at  the  returning  smiles  of  her 
father,  and    at  the   interest   which   he  manifested  in 
their  visitor's  narrative,  became  a  deeply  interested 
listener,  and  was  doubly  beautiful,  because  utterly  un- 
conscious of  being  the  object  of  admiration.     Kudolph, 
of  course,  exerted  himself  to  please,  and  became  as- 
tonished at  his  own  resources,  and  when  he  rose  to 
take  his  leave  his  new  friends  parted  with  him  with 
unfeigned  regret.     It  was  a  singular  accident,  Effie 
thought,  that  on  the  very  next  day  she  met  him  again, 
while  taking  a  short   walk,  and  that    he   strolled   at 
her   side,   engaged    her   in    conversation,   accompa- 
nied her  home,  and  again  sat  down  by  old  Evert's  side 
for  two  long  hours.     On  the  ensuing  day  he  came  to 
exhibit  some   northern  curiosity   of    which   he    had 
spoken  on  a  former  visit,  and  on  the  next,  for  some 
other  easily  invented  cause.     How  very  kind  it  was 


®:i)C   jFirst    oC   t!)C   B-nickerh  ockers.  95 

of  him,  thought  sweet,  unsuspecting  Effie,  to  come 
thus  daily  and  cheer  up  poor  papa  ;  for  the  old  man's 
eyes  always  brightened  at  his  approach,  and  all  his 
grief  seemed  for  a  while  forgotten.  But  other 
eyes  soon  brightened,  and  other  ears  caught  first 
the  sound  of  his  footsteps,  and  an  angel  heart 
beat  quicker  at  his  coming.  New  and  strange  emo- 
tions were  Effie's,  unconfessed  to  herself,  and  care- 
fully concealed  from  others.  Vainly  she  sought  to 
repress  them,  or  to  believe  that  they  did  not  exist ; 
for  she  did  not  dare  to  believe  that  Rudolph's  visits 
were  intended  for  her,  or  that  he  looked  upon  her 
with  any  especial  regard.  To  her  appreciating  heart 
he  was  all  too  noble  and  too  pure,  to  be  within  the 
attraction  of  her  humble  charms.  But  as  day  after 
day  brought  some  new  token  of  his  regard,  the  de- 
lighted Effie  was  compelled  to  believe  and  hope,  and 
to  look  tremblingly  for  that  avowal,  which  seemed 
only  unspoken. 

But  Rudolph  unfortunately  began  to  be  haunted  by 
doubts.  The  first  ardor  of  his  hopes  had  subsided,  and 
some  very  natural  fears  suggested  themselves  to  his 
mind.  If  Effie  had  really  been  attached  to  Egbert, 
was  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  she  still  loved 
him  ?  Might  she  not  even  be  cherishing  the  expecta- 
tion of  his  returning  fealty  ;  and  might  not  her  present 
kindness   to   himself   be    the   more    freely  exhibited, 


96  2C|)e   jFirst   of   t^t  W^nicktvhoclitvs. 

because  she  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  he  knew 
of  her  love  for  another,  and  that  he  would  not  miscon- 
strue her  friendship  into  affection  ?  Lovers  are  always 
skilled  in  self-torture,  and  Rudolph  was  fast  becoming 
a  proficient  in  the  art.  Several  unfortunate  circum- 
stances gave  strength  to  his  suspicions,  and  just  as  he 
had  resolved  to  hear  the  worst  from  Effie  herself,amost 
untoward  event  occurred,  interrupting  his  design,  and 
dashing  all  his  brilliant  hopes  to  earth.  Evert  had 
continued  bHnd  to  the  attachment  which  existed  be- 
tween Effie  and  Rudolph,  and  so  pertinaciously  had 
his  own  thoughts  and  hopes  clung  to  the  idea  of  Eg- 
bert's returning  faith,  that  he  imagined  his  daughter 
to  be  imbued  with  the  same  feelings.  What  else,  he 
thought,  could  render  her  so  happy  and  contented  ? 
How  could  her  step  be  otherwise  so  light,  her  voice 
so  cheerful,  her  face  so  radiant  with  smiles  ?  In  this 
state  of  mind  the  half-crazed  father  applied  to  poor 
Rudolph  for  his  opinion  in  regard  to  the  extent  of  Eg- 
bert's defection,  and  the  probability  of  his  return  ;  and 
when  the  young  man  found  voice  to  reply,  it  was  only 
hurriedly  to  inquire  if  Effie  would  still  be  a  willing 
party  to  the  alliance  with  his  brother.  The  surprised 
air  of  Evert,  as  he  returned  an  unhesitating  answer  in 
the  affirmative,  set  the  seal  to  Rudolph's  despair.  He 
felt  like  one  who,  having  in  a  dream  climbed  to  some 
giddy  eminence,  topples  suddenly   from  its  summit. 


STIjc   JFivst   of  tl)c   2^nic  feevijocfecvs.  97 

He  was  now  furnished,  he  thought,  with  the  key  to 
all  Effie's  conduct.  His  sagacity  had  been  at  fault 
before,  only  because  it  had  been  led  blindfoW  by 
his  hopes.  But  he  never  would  hope  again.  How 
foolish  indeed  for  him  to  think  of  winning  an  angel 
from  its  sphere  !  but  he  saw,  thank  Heaven,  his  pre- 
sumption, and  now  that  his  eyes  were  open  he  would 
endeavor  to  keep  them  ^o.  Such  were  Rudolph's 
thoughts.  His  esteem  for  Effie  was  indeed  slightly 
impaired  at  the  thought  of  her  attachment  to  one  as 
undeserving  as  Egbert ;  but  on  reflection  he  remem- 
bered that  she  was  ignorant  of  his  true  character,  and 
he  thought  that  doubtless  her  affection,  based  at  first 
on  a  sense  of  duty,  had  grown  gradually  into  an  en- 
during sentiment.  But  however  that  might  be,  one 
thing  was  clear  enough,  and  that  was  that  she  cared 
nothing  for  him.  So  this,  he  thought,  was  the  end  of 
all  his  happiness.  It  had  lasted  a  fortnight,  for  which 
he  might  thank  his  folly.  He  would  now  go  quietly 
home,  and  advertise  for  a  cap  and  bells,  for  if  there 
were  any  spare  insignia  of  that  kind  in  the  world,  he 
thought  he  was  fully  entitled  to  wear  them.  Rudolph, 
in  short,  discontinued  his  visits  to  Effie,  and  betook 
himself  once  more  to  solitude,  but,  as  is  supposed,  not 
of  the  ''sweetened"  variety. 


9S  2r  j)  c   .jF  i  I'  s  t  0  f    1 1)  c    H  n  i  c  k  c  r  li  0  c  It  €  r  s 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  mysterious  disappearance  of  Mr.  Sharp  caused 
an  unexampled  commotion  in  the  community.  Wells 
were  explored,  and  rivers  dragged,  and  forests 
searched  in  a  fruitless  effort  to  bring  his  mortal  re- 
mains to  light,  and  among  the  crowds  who  engaged 
in  these  labors,  none  were  more  active  or  efficient 
than  Ralph  Ripley.  The  excitement  was  continually 
increased  by  some  new  rumor  on  the  subject,  and 
conjectures  of  every  description  were  of  course 
afloat.  Some  said  that  the  trading  Indians  had  car- 
ried him  ofl^,  in  payment  of  certain  arrearages  of  in- 
debtedness, and  there  were  not  wanting  others,  who, 
exonerating  the  savages,  still  shook  their  heads 
gravely,  and  said  it  w^as  what  they  had  long  ex- 
pected ;  a  certain  personage  would  have  his  own, 
and  probably  Sharp  had  got  no  more  than  he  had 
bargained  for  a  great  while  before.  No  suspicion  fell 
on  Ripley,  for  none  had  known  of  the  quarrel  on  the 
day  of  the  abduction,  and  until  that  time  Ralph  and 
the  lawyer  had  been  on  friendly  terms.  As  to  Sin- 
clair, he  gave  himself  no  uneasiness  on  the  subject, 
excepting  to   express  an   opinion  that  it  was  really 


E\)t   ffivBt   of   t|)c    Bnicttet-ftocfecvs.  99 

quite  a  shocking  affair  ;  but  he  had  known  many 
things  more  strange  off  the  coast  of  Portugal.  But 
when  three  or  four  days  had  elapsed  without  any 
clew  to  the  secret,  the  search  was  relinquished,  and 
poor  Sharp  was  abandoned  to  his  fate.  The  wedding 
was  of  course  postponed,  and  Egbert  Groesbeck  had 
the  gratifying  prospect  before  him,  not  only  of  utter 
insolvency,  but  of  a  speedy  exposure  of  his  affairs, 
and  probably  a  perpetual  leave  of  absence  from  the 
charming  Euphemia.  Neither  that  young  lady,  nor 
her  brother,  manifested  any  excess  of  grief  at  their 
misfortune,  for  Sharp  had  been  in  his  family,  as  else- 
where, a  harsh  man,  and  his  house  had  been  emphati- 
cally a  home  of  the  iron  rule.  Benhadad  indeed 
talked  largely  ^f  his  designs  in  regard  to  his  lost  pro- 
genitor, and  it  was  thought  by  some  that  he  would 
not  stop  short  of  drawing  off  both  rivers  in  search  of 
the  body,  and  exterminating  a  few  tribes  of  Indians, 
to  avenge  the  paternal  manes ;  but  somehow  it  hap- 
pened that  he  never  really  entered  upon  any  of  his 
vast  designs.  Benhadad  was  a  young  man  of  a  lofty 
gait,  and  a  general  pompousness  of  mien.  His  self- 
importance,  never  deficient,  had  been  immeasurably 
increased  by  his  new  position,  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  he  could  keep  down  his  sense  of  rising 
greatness  sufficiently  to  admit  of  paying  decent  re- 


100  SrSe  ffivst    of   t|)e  2^nichei:i)ocfters. 

spect  to  the  memory  of  his  lost  parent.  He  possessed, 
of  course,  but  little  of  his  father's  'shrewdness,  for 
arrogance,  in  his  case,  as  in  most  others,  was  the  off- 
spring of  a  shallow  brain,  but  then  he  fully  believed 
that  the  cloak  of  Hiram  had  fallen  upon  his  shoulders, 
and  that  it  was  an  exceeding  good  fit. 

Benhadad  was  a  very  condescending  man.  He 
was  exceedingly  gracious  to  Evert ;  expressed  his 
regrets  at  some  little  misunderstanding  which  he 
believed  had  existed  between  the  families ;  and  ten- 
dered to  his  venerable  friend,  by  way  of  a  peace- 
offering,  the  use  of  a  cow-pasture  in  some  odd  angle 
of  the  Knickerbocker  manor.  It  need  not  be  said 
that  this  munificent  oflfer  was  not  accepted,  or  very 
gratefully  acknowledged.  It  awakeifed  the  slumber- 
ing fires  of  resentment  in  the  breast  of  Evert,  and  the 
ashen  hue  of  rage  was  on  his  cheek,  as,  striking  his 
cane  violently  to  the  ground,  he  said, 

"  Your  father " 

"Blessed  be  his  memory,"  interposed  Benhadad, 
by  way  of  a  reminder,  for  he  thought  he  foresaw  a 
storm. 

"  Your  father,  young  man " 

"  Has  gone  to  his  reward,"  rejoined  the  pious  son. 

''  Yes — yes — yes,"  said  the  old  man,  emphatically  ; 
"  he  has — he  has ;"  and  seeming  to  think  better  of 


2ri)c   Jfivst   of   tt)c   IS^iiicftcrljocfeers.  101 


his  proposed  invective,  he  turned  JsfevI}'  ?^w^ay,  antl 
left  his  companion  not  a  Uttle  re/i'eved  by, his -.depart- 
ure. ''' ■•  '*''"'  '• '  ^>'  yi  I '-"i 

But  Hiram  Sharp,  in  the  mean  time,  as  the  reader 
is  aware,  had  not  yet  put  off  his  mortal  coil.  His 
prison  chamber  was  lighted  by  a  port-hole,  the  iron 
tenant  of  which  was  stored  for  the  present,  with  its 
companions,  beneath  a  miscellaneous  mass  of  ballast, 
far  from  the  observation  of  any  prying  eyes,  which 
might,  upon  some  possible  contingency,  visit  the  sus- 
pected Zephyr.  The  port-holes  themselves  wep  inge- 
niously masked,  this  one  alone  being  left  partly  unclosed, 
less,  however,  out  of  any  regard  for  the  prisoner's  com- 
fort, than  for  the  convenience  of  his  custodians.  Sharp 
was  chained  to  the  floor,  at  a  point  whence  it  was 
supposed  impossible  for  him  to  gain  access  to  the 
aperture,  even  to  indulge  in  the  slight  luxury  of 
gazing  upon  the  world  from  which  he  was  excluded. 
But  what  will  not  the  ingenuity  of  despair,  favored  by 
solitude,  accomplish  ?  By  dint  of  extraordinary  mus- 
cular exertions,  and  untiring  patience,  he  could  suc- 
ceed in  bringing  his  eyes  to  a  level  with  the  opening, 
and  feasting  them  upon  the  view  without,  taking 
care,  of  course,  never  to  indulge  in  this  forbidden 
pleasure  when  there  was  any  danger  of  being  dis- 
covered by  his  keepers.  The  windov/  looked  out 
upon  the  distant   city.     He  could  see  his  own  house. 


102         E\)t  jFirst   of   t|)c   B-nicfeerftocfeers. 

^tid  watqh  the:  very  smoke  that  curled  up  from  the 
fireside  at  which  he-^  had  been  accustomed  to  sit.  He 
'chufd  see  tigurets  moving  at  the  open  windov^^s,  and 
others  crossing  the  lav^^n,  and  entering  his  doors  ;  and 
vi^hen  the  air  v^as  still  and  dense,  he  could  even  hear 
the  barking  of  his  favorite  dog.  The  voice  and  its 
echo  from  the  barn  came  to  him  together.  He  knew 
the  sound  well,  and  would  have  liked  it  better  had  it 
not  been  for  the  remembrance  which  it  summoned 
up,  of  a  poor  Indian,  driven  away  but  yesterday  by 
Fang,  unconvinced  that  his  merchandise  of  seal-skins 
had  been  damaged  by  getting  wet,  and  that  the  pit- 
tance which  he  received  for  them  was  enough  for  his 
hard-earned  treasures. 

Day  and  night  did  Hiram  gaze,  at  intervals, 
through  this  "  loop-hole  of  his  retreat"  toward  his  dis- 
tant home.  It  seemed  as  if  it  had  been  prepared  for 
him  by  way  of  a  refined  species  of  torture  :  for  not 
Tantalus,  bound  chin-deep  in  the  cool  waters  which 
his  parched  lips  might  never  reach,  not  Tantalus 
endured  a  more  exquisite  pain.  But  there  is  only  one 
place  to  which  Hope  never  comes,  and  that  good 
genius  appeared  to  Hiram  in  the  very  remarkable 
guise  of  old  Tony  West,  a  negro  fisherman.  Tony 
was  the  property  of  a  main  chance  man  on  Long 
Island,  who,  in  consideration  of  his  faithful  services 
by  day,  generously  allowed  him  his  liberty  at  night. 


B't)t   ffixst  of   t!)c   l^nicfe€rI)ocfe€i-s.  103 

a  portion  of  which  the  slave  regularly  appropriated  to 
his  piscatory  pursuits,  and  was  therel)y  amassing,  by 
sixpences,  a  sum  with  which  to  purchase,  at  some 
future  day,  no  less  a  treasure  than  his  own  body  and 
soul. 

"  Some  jnen  are  born  free,"  thought  Tony,  sadly, 
"  and  that's  five  hundred  dollars  in  their  pockets  to 
start  with  ;"  but  still  he  did  not  complain,  but  went  on 
toiling  with  net  and  line,  fully  believing  that  he  shoul  (' 
yet  fish  up  the  great  boon  of  liberty  from  the  botton 
of  the  bay.  He  had  reason  to  hope,  Tony  had  ;  foi 
a  year's  labor  had  brought  him  nearly  fifty  dollars,  a 
stupendous  sum  in  his  imagination,  and  only  nine 
years  more  would  complete  the  task. 

It  was  on  a  dark  night  that  the  negro,  after  un- 
usually long  and  ineffectual  labors  in  his  little  skiff*, 
far  out  from  shore,  had  raised  his  anchor  deject- 
edly and  started  for  home.  The  night  was  far  spent, 
and  his  torches  had  expired,  and  his  pipe  had  gone 
out,  and  he  bent,  nodding  with  sleep,  over  his  oars, 
yet  keeping  up  their  slow  and  monotonous  stroke,  and 
lulling  himself  still  more  by  the  sound.  But  as  Mor- 
pheus gained  ground,  the  oars  dropped  from  his 
hands,  and  the  dark  boat,  and  its  darker  tenant, 
drifted  silently  along,  invisible  as  a  cloud  upon  the  , 
wave.  If  Tony  did  not  catch  many  fish  in  his  sleep, 
it  was  not  for  want  of  diligent  bobbing,  for  his  round, 


104  S^ljr  jFirst   of   t\)c  2^  iiickcvb  ocfee  vs. 

woolly  head  went  up  and  down  with  a  ceaseless  and 
regular  motion,  and  he  was  only  awakened  at  length 
from  a  dreamy  tussle  with  a  mammoth  codfish,  by 
the  sound  of  his  boat  striking  against  some  hard  sub- 
stance. It  was  some  time  before  he  became  suffi- 
ciently awake  to  discover  that  he  had  run  foul  of  a 
ship,  and  he  was  about  pushing  his  boat  off,  when  he 
heard  a  voice  calling  in  an  earnest  but  suppressed 
tone  for  help.  The  negro  could  see  nothing,  but  he 
guided  his  skiff  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  and  soon 
lay  directly  beneath  the  point  whence  it  seemed  to 
emanate. 

"  Quick — quick,"  said  the  prisoner, — "  this  way — 
listen  to  me ;  I  am  Hiram  Sharp,  the  great  merchant 
of  New  York — kidnapped  by  Captain  Ripley — and 
going  to  be  murdered  here  on  board  the  Zephyr — do 
you  hear  me  ?" 

"  Y — y — yes,"  said  Tony,  trembling,  "  I  hare." 

'*  Who  are  you  ?"  said  Sharp. 

"  Tony— Tony— I'm  Tony— I  b'long  to  Massa 
West,  over  yeer  in  Breuklyn." 

"Go  quick  to  my  son  and  tell  him  where  I  am — 
murdered — on  the  Zephyr — quick — and  tell  him  to 
give  you  a  hundred  dollars,  right  straight  down — and 
.  that  I  say  so.     Go,  Tony — good  Tony,  quick." 

"  Jess  jump  right  out,  massa — right  out  of  that  hole." 


SEije   jFitst   of   tijc   J&nickevbockexa ,         105 

"Oh,  I  can't,  Tony;  I  can't;  my  feet  are  chained 
together,  and  chained  to   the    floor;  go,  Tony,  go." 

And  Tony  went. 

The  ensuing  morning  had  been  set  apart  by  Mr. 
Benhadad  Sharp  for  a  visit  to  the  manor  tenantry,  to 
notify  them  of  their  loss,  and  that  he,  Benhadad,  was 
to  be  regarded  as  their  future  landlord.  His  buttoned 
coat  only  did  not  burst,  as,  clad  in  the  habiliments  of 
woe,  he  stepped  into  his  carriage,  and  was  detained 
only  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  Tony,  breathless 
and  speechless,  who,  gazing  at  him  with  eyes  fright- 
fully dilated,  laid  his  huge  dark  hand  upon  the  wheel 
as  if  he  would  arrest  its  motion  until  he  could  speak. 
Benhadad  waited  complacently,  for  he  knew  the  old 
negro  well,  and  had  no  doubt  that  he  had  brought- in- 
telligence of  having  accidentally  fished  up  his  honored 
ancestor.  Indeed,  he  was  already  singling  out  a  small 
coin  in  his  pocket  to  reward  the  slave,  when  the  lat- 
ter recovered  his  voice,  and  with  chattering  teeth 
related  his  wonderful  tale.  Astonishment  and  alarm 
for  a  moment  held  the  young  man  silent.  Tumultu- 
ous and  mingled  feelings  succeeded,  in  which,  strange 
to  tell,  joy  did  not  preponderate.  His  dimensions 
visibly  diminished,  and  his  swollen  and  rigid  air  quite 
disappeared.  He  questioned  the  negro  again  and 
again,  and,  eliciting  nothing  to  throw  discredit  on  the 
story,  dismissed  him.  To  Tony's  eager  appeal  for 
6 


106         SCije    JFUst  of   tfit   l^nicitcrbocfeers. 

the  promised  reward,  he  replied  by  a  gratuity  of  half 
a  dollar,  and  an  intimation  that  a  similar  sum  would 
be  forthcoming  after  the  release  of  his  father  was  ef- 
fected. No  injunction  of  secrecy  was  imposed  upon 
the  negro  ;  nothing  to  prevent  the  rumor  from  spread- 
ing, reaching  the  ears  of  Ripley,  and  thus  defeating 
the  chance  of  rescue.  But  Tony  was  not  himself 
devoid  of  sagacity,  and  his  wits  were  sharpened  now 
by  the  hope  of  gaining  the  munificent  prize  which 
had  been  promised  him.  He  hastened,  therefore,  un- 
observed by  Benhadad,  to  the  presence  of  Euphemia, 
and,  repeating  his  marvellous  tale,  again  demanded 
his  reward.  Miss  Sharp  was  both  shocked  and  de- 
lighted, for  she  was  not  without  a  degree  of  affection 
for  her  father,  and  besides  that,  she  was  not  unmind- 
ful of  her  deferred  nuptials.  Egbert  was  at  once 
summoned,  and  he  indeed  proved  a  joyful  recipient  of 
the  news,  and  advised  instant,  vigorous  and  secret 
action ;  while  Benhadad,  who  soon  joined  them, 
found  himself  compelled  to  imitate  the  zeal  of  his 
companions,  and  was  even  forced  by  their  decision  to 
tell  down  the  chinking  gold  into  poor  Tony's  broad, 
black,  trembling  hand.  How  it  glistened  on  that 
ebony  palm  !  How  melodiously  they  rung,  those  twenty 
bright  yellow  guineas,  striking  against  each  other,  and 
how  the  great  iron  fingers  closed  over  the  treasure, 
with  a  clutch  designed  to  render  all  relentings  use- 


2ri)c   iFtrst   of   tfjc   IS^nicfecrfiocitera.  107 

less.  Nothing  but  Death  could  have  opened  Tony's 
hand. 

Egbert  went  about  his  task  with  earnestness.  En- 
joining the  strictest- secrecy  upon  all,  his  first  step  was 
to  lay  all  the  facts  before  Governor  Lovelace,  and  apply 
for  his  official  aid.  He  had  a  long  and  private  inter- 
view with  that  officer,  and  was  returning  from  the 
government  house,  wrapt  in  the  contemplation  of  his 
schemes,  when  he  encountered  Captain  Sinclair, 
bearing  in  his  hands  a  package  of  papers,  which  he  at 
once  recognized  as  the  fatal  deeds.  They  were  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  office  of  Records,  and  Egbert  at  once 
guessed  the  design  of  the  other  ;  for  he  had  been  daily 
trembling  at  the  expected  exposure  of  hi^  affairs,  and 
had  with  difficulty  persuaded  his  friend  to  defer  mak- 
ing the  matter  public  until  now.  Taking  the  arm  of 
Sinclair,  and  drawing  him  aside,  he  said, 

"  You  have  accommodated  me  so  often  about  these 
dreadful  deeds,  that  I  really  feel  ashamed  to  ask  any 
further  delay ;  but  let  me  beg  for  one  week  more." 

"  Mr.  Groesbeck  must  excuse  me,"  answered  Sin- 
clair, coldly  ;  "the  deeds  must  be  recorded." 

*'  Give  me  one  week,"  said  Egbert,  "  and  you  will 
save  me  from  ruin." 

Sinclair  smiled  incredulously,  and  did  not  yield  ;  it 
was  the  old  story,  he  said,  and  Groesbeck  was  no  nearer 
his  object  now  than  he  had  been  three  weeks  before. 

•'  Stop,"  said  Egbert,  as  the  other  was  turning  away  : 


108         a:i)ejFitst   ot    tt)c   JEinicttxb  act  eta. 

"  I  have  a  great  secret ;  you  shall  hear  it,  and  judge 
for  yourself." 

He  then  proceeded  to  relate  to  the  astonished  Sin- 
clair the  discoveries  in  relation  to  Sharp,  and  how  his 
return  w^ould  be  followed  in  a  few  days  by  the  post- 
poned wedding.  "  A  warrant  is  already  being  pre- 
pared for  Ripley's  arrest,"  he  said, "  and  as  soon  as  it 
is  dark,  three  gun-boats  with  marines  will  be  sent  out 
to  board  the  Zephyr,  and  bring  her  into  port.  Do  you 
believe  me  now,"  he  said,  "  and  will  you  wait  ?" 

"  I  do — I  do,"  replied  Sinclair,  smiling,  and  return- 
ing the  papers  to  his  pocket.  *'  Oh  yes — I'll  wait ;  why, 
there'll  be  fun,  won't  there  ?  I  wonder  if  they'll  hang 
that  bull-dog  of  a  Ripley.  I  always  thought  he  had  a 
bad  look — the  scoundrel — the  dem'd  infernal  villain, 
I  may  say.  Good  morning — good  morning,  sir  ;"  and, 
bowing  and  smiling.  Captain  Sinclair  turned  graceful- 
ly away,  leaving  Egbert  more  than  ever  impressed 
with  the  idea  that  he  was  an  exceedingly  civil  and 
good-natured  fellow. 

Twenty  minutes  afterwards  Sinclair  and  Ralph 
were  standing  together  in  the  very  grove  which  had 
proved  so  fatal  to  Hiram. 

"  You  will  cruise  in  the  West  Indies  until  autumn," 
said  the  Captain,  hurriedly,  "  when  you  will  return  to 
Boston,  where  I  will  meet  you.  In  the  mean  time, 
you  will  of  course  change  your  paint  and  name." 


tS.\\t   iFivst   of   tijr   3S.txicfeeri)ocfeevs.         109 

"  And  that  d — d  Sharp  ?"  said  Ripley,  inquiringly,  as 
he  placed  one  foot  in  the  boat,  and  looked  angrily  back. 

"Is  TO  BE  PRESERVED,"  Said  Sinclair,  emphatically  ; 
"  mind,  I  insist  on  this ;  the  reason  you  shall  know 
hereafter." 

*'  I'll  be  hanged  if  he  don't  wish  the  sharks  had  him, 
then,  before  we  get  back,"  replied  Ripley,  as  he 
pushed  off;  and  Sinclair,  smiling,  walked  hurriedly 
back  to  offer  his  assistance  in  the  pursuit. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

Formidable,  meanwhile,  were  the  preparations 
which  were  made  for  the  seizure  of  the  Zephyr.  The 
suspicion  which  had  long  rested  upon  this  vessel  was 
now  turned  into  a  reasonable  certainty,  and  Governor 
Lovelace,  roused  to  vigorous  action  by  so  great  an 
outrage,  was  determined  to  bring  her  into  port,  and  to 
arrest  her  whole  crew  as  pirates,  not  doubting  that 
the  fullest  proof  could  be  adduced  against  them. 
There  was  no  naval  force  in  any  shape  attached  to 
the  colonial  government  at  this  period  ;  but  there  was 


110         2rt)e  ffixst   of   tlje   l^txicfeeriocfecrs. 

fortunately  a  British  man-of-war  lying  in  port,  under- 
going some  repairs,  which,  although  unfitted  for 
immediate  service,  was  manned  by  a  gallant  crew  and 
brave  officers,  of  whom  Mr.  Second  Lieutenant  Flash 
was  one.  To  his  charge  the  expedition  was  commit- 
ted, which  was  to  be,  if  necessary,  a  regular  "  cutting 
out"  affair,  although  it  was  hoped  that  the  enemy, 
being  unalarmed,  would  offer  no  serious  resistance. 
Not  so  however  hoped  Flash,  who,  from  the  moment 
that  he  was  intrusted  with  the  enterprise,  considered 
his  long  expected  promotion  secured  beyond  any 
further  contingency.  How  it  will  read  in  the  gazettes 
at  home,  he  said  to  himself  gleefully,  as  he  stood 
watching  an  old  tar  who  w^as  diligently  engaged  in 
furbishing  up  his  sword  hilt :  "  Lieut.  Flash,  with  three 
gun-boats  of  marines,  made  a  most  daring  and  gallant 
attack  upon  a  piratical  sloop-of-war,  of  twelve  guns, 
lying  in  the  bay  of  Manhattan — tremendous  conflict — 
deck  strewn  with  the  dying — blood  in  torrents — "  and 
Flash  snapped  his  fingers,  and  cut  a  rapid  pigeon-wing 
at  the  delightful  anticipation.  "  We'll  carry  her  of 
course,"  he  said  ;  "  there'll  be  lots  of  prize  money,  prob- 
ably, but  no  matter  about  that ;  there's  a  first  lieuten- 
ancy, that's  certain ;"  and  again  he  laughed  and 
rubbed  his  hands  joyously  together. 

All   day   did   Egbert    Groesbeck   walk    excitedly 
about,  watching  the  mysterious  preparations ;  for  no 


2ri)c   JFirstof   t1)c   3S; nt cftcrliocftcts.         Ill 

one  felt  more  anxious  than  he  about  the  result.  He 
feared  momentarily  that  the  Zephyr  would  take  to 
flight,  for  she  seemed  like  some  graceful  sea-bird, 
floating  buoyantly  upon  the  water,  and  ready  to 
spread  her  white  wings  at  the  least  alarm.  There 
seemed  however  little  ground  for  such  an  apprehen- 
sion, for  she  had  lain  for  weeks  in  her  present  posi- 
tion, and  gave  no  indication  of  any  intended  change. 
The  failure  to  find  Ripley  on  shore  created  no  sur- 
prise, for  he  frequently  passed  days  together  on  his 
ship,  and  he  was  supposed  to  be  in  profound  ignorance 
of  the  deep  and  well-digested  designs  against  him. 

Benhadad's  feelings  were  of  a  conflicting  character, 
but  his  complacency  was  in  part  restored  by  his  being, 
as   he   fancied,  the   prime  mover   in  the  momentous 
events   which  were   now   occurring.      He    thanked 
Heaven,  with  a  vertical  toss  of  his  head,  that  he  had 
at  length  opened  the   eyes  of  the  government,  and 
had  got  the  government  into  motion ;  and  Miss  Eu- 
phemia  guessed  that  Mr.  Ralph  Ripley  Vv^ould  learn 
better  than  to  carry  off    folks's   papas,   and  just   as 
folks  were  going  to  be  married,  too.     Swelling  with 
the   importance  of  his   secret,  and  wearing   a   pro- 
founder  look  than  Pitt,  with  the  fate  of  Europe  in  his 
hands,  Benhadad   strayed,  or  rather  stalked,  at  twi- 
light, to  the  wharf,  and  examined  the  boats  and  the 
munitions  which  were  being  prepared  for  the  enter- 


112  Ef}t  fflxst   of   i\)z  B-nicherbocfters. 

prise.  He  was  joined  by  Lieutenant  Flash,  who, 
coming  up  to  him  with  a  face  radiant  with  joy,  ex- 
claimed, 

**  Sharp,  I've  got  the  most  dehghtful  news  for  you  ; 
Captain  Grim  is  really  a  very  considerate  man  ;  he 
says,  considering  your  natural  anxiety  in  the  matter, 
he  w^ill  not  object  to  your  accompanying  the  expedi- 
tion, and  doing  what  you  can  to  render  it  successful — 
under  me  of  course." 

"I — I — ah — yes — I  fear — "  muttered  Benhadad,  a 
little  crest-fallen. 

**  You  can  go  in  my  boat,  you  know,"  continued  the 
rattling  lieutenant — "  first  to  board,  after  me — youthful 
ardor — pike-in-hand — dash  into  the  cabin — and  res- 
cue your  father  with  your  own  hands  ; — won't  it  be 
glorious  ?" 

''  Y — y — yes,"  said  Benhadad,  "  it  would  be  nice — 
that  would — but  what  will  the  bloody  pirates  be  doing 
all  that  time  ?" 

*'  Oh,  cut  and  thrust — take  and  give — neck  or 
nothing,"  said  Flash — "  the  chances  of  war,  you 
know  ;  they  may  blow  us  all  up  together  in  one 
undistinguish — a — a — why,  what  the  deuce  is  the 
matter.  Sharp  ?  you  look  as  pale  as  a  sheet." 

**  Why,  the  truth  is,"  replied  Benhadad,  "  I'm  a  little 
unwell,  and  I  think  I'd  better  not  venture  out ;  the 
night  air  don't  exactly  agree  with  me,  and  I  believe 


STije   jFirst    of   tt)e   IS^niciterijoclters.  118 

I'll  stay  at  home.  'Twould  be  all  very  nice,  of  course — 
youthful  ardor — pike-in-hand — and  all  that,  and  I'm 
very  much  obliged  to  you,  you  know^,  all  the  same  ; 
good  night,  Mr.  Flash — take  care  you  don't  get  wet." 

The  single-minded  lieutenant,  educated  to  a  con- 
tempt of  danger,  and  whose  valor  was  always  red- 
hot,  could  scarcely  credit  the  cowardice  of  his  com- 
panion. He  had  expected  to  be  overwhelmed  with 
thanks.  He  gazed  after  him  for  some  time  in  silent 
wonder,  and  then  muttering  a  contemptuous  "  pshaw  !" 
turned  quickly  away. 

It  is  due  to  Captain  Sinclair  to  say  that  that  gallant 
officer  called  upon  the  governor  and  made  a  tender 
of  his  services  to  command  the  expedition,  thereby 
gaining  great  eclat  at  a  very  slight  cdst,  inasmuch  as 
Captain  Grim  of  the  man-of-war  would  not  of  course 
listen  to  such  a  proposal,  to  the  prejudice  of  an  officer 
in  His  Majesty's  navy. 

"  But  probably,"  said  Lovelace,  "  if  Captain  Sinclair 
chooses  to  take  one  of  the  boats " 

Captain  Sinclair  bowed  very  low,  and  smiled  very 
graciously.  He  would  do  it  gladly,  but  for  the  risk 
of  giving  offence  in  certain  high  quarters  at  home,  by 
taking  command  under  a  lieutenant.  The  thing  was 
not  to  be  thought  of.  What  would  his  cousin  the 
Duke  of  Parma  say,  and  Count  Sylvio — and— and— 
6* 


114         S:|)c  iFirst   ot   tt)e  J^nictexhocktvn. 

and  Captain  Sinclair  wished  the  governor  a  very  good 
morning. 

**  A  devilish  fine  fellov^,  that  Sinclair  is,"  said  Love- 
lace to  one  of  his  companions  as  the  Spaniard  bowed 
himself  out  of  the  room  ;  "  I  wish  we  could  induce 
him  to  remain  among  us." 

"  It  is  said  that  he  will  do  so,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  he 
has  talked  for  several  weeks  past  of  a  design  to  pur- 
chase an  estate  here,  and  retire  from  the  service." 

Motionless  meanwhile,  and  with  no  appearance  of 
life  upon  her  decks,  lay  the  suspected  Zephyr.  The 
wind  was  light,  and  was  growing  gradually  less,  and 
Ripley  avoided  exhibiting  any  premonitions  of  flight 
until  the  breeze  was  sufficient  to  render  the  attempt 
effectual ;  for  if  he  was  to  be  compelled  to  await  an 
attack,  it  was  better  that  the  enemy  should  suppose 
him  to  -be  unalarmed.  He  relied  however  on  the 
wind  freshening  at  sunset,  enough  at  least  to  admit  of 
changing  his  position  to  some  good  hiding-place,  and 
in  the  night,  or  the  early  morning,  the  zephyrs  would 
be  pretty  certain  to  come  to  the  assistance  of  their 
graceful  little  namesake.  "  Two  or  three  puffs,"  he 
said,  looking  aloft  with  knotted  brows,  "will  put  her 
outside  the  Narrows,  and  then  we  are  safe."  Ripley 
would  have  fought  the  boats  with  a  perfect  good  will, 
had  not  Sinclair  forbidden  it,  and  then,  besides,  he 
thought,  this  fighting  with  a  halter  around  one's  neck 


S:|)c  JFivst   oC   ti)e   3S.nicfeerboc,feers.         115 

isn't  exactly  the  thing.  His  guns  were  mounted,  how- 
ever, and  all  his  weapons  were  put  in  order  to  repel 
an  attack,  and  it  was  not  a  little  singular  that  two 
diligent  subordinate  officers,  who  superintended  these 
labors,  bore  a  marvellous  resemblance  to  the  Austrian 
lieutenants,  of  whom  mention  has  heretofore  been 
made. 

All  day  did  Ralph  watch  the  sky  and  scan  the 
light  feathery  clouds  to  find  tokens  of  the  coming 
wind — but  all  in  vain:  the  breeze  continued  to  fall 
away,  and  when  the  sun  went  down  there  was  a 
perfect  calm.  So  smooth  and  motionless  lay  the 
waters  that  the  stars,  as  they  successively  came  to 
their  posts,  were  greeted  by  their  images  in  the  wide 
and  beautiful  mirror  which  lay  stretched  beneath 
them.  The  situation  of  the  Zephyr  became  momen- 
tarily more  critical,  and  Ripley  began  to  give  tokens 
of  uneasiness.  Even  the  tide  had  joined  the  list  of 
his  enemies.  It  was  coming  slowly  in,  and  any  attempt 
to  change  his  position,  by  drifting,  would  have  borne 
him  still  further  from  the  open  sea,  ^nd  would  thus 
have  diminished  his  chances  of  escape. 

Meanwhile  Lieutenant  Flash  was  the  busiest  and 
happiest  man  in  the  province.  It  w^  about  nine 
o'clock  that  he  put  his  force  in  motion,  after  a  brief 
hortatory  address  to  his  men,  reminding  them  that 
the  honor  of  their  flac:,  their  own  private  reputation, 


116  2rt)€    iFlrst   of   t|)e   3^n  icfeerbocfeccs. 

and  a  small  fortune  for  each  of  them,  depended  upon 
their  conduct.  "  It's  probable,"  he  said,  "  mind,  I  don't 
say  it's  certain,  but  it's  probable  that  fellow  is  ballast- 
ed with  ingots.  Remember  that  the  most  perfect 
silence  is  to  be  maintained,  and  you  all  understand 
that,  one  way  or  another,  we  are  to  bring  the  Zephyr 
into  port.  So  push  ahead,  my  hearties,  and  you, 
Midshipmen  Jones  and  Smith,"  addressing  the  com- 
mandants of  the  other  two  boats,  "  don't  forget  my 
orders,  and  now — go  ahead — no,  not  yet, — one  thing 
more,"  said  the  lieutenant,  charged  to  the  brim  with 
ecstatic  delight — "  the  man  who  first  touches  the  deck 
of  the  Zephyr  shall  have  half  of  my  prize  money — 
that's  all — ^go  ahead  ;"  and  touching  his  cap  to  Gov- 
ernor Lovelace  and  Captain  Grim,  who,  with  one  or 
two  others,  stood  wrapt  in  their  cloaks  on  the  quarter- 
deck of  "the  Terror,"  watching  the  embarkation,  the 
gallant  lieutenant  sat  down,  and  the  boats,  with  muf- 
fled oars,  moved  noiselessly  off.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  every  man  resolved  to  be  first  on  board  the  ene- 
my, and  with  such  enthusiasm,  there  was  littlp  fear 
of  defeat. 

As  the  twilight  had  departed,  Ripley's  alarm  had 
rapidly  increased.  The  unfurled  sails  were  hanging 
motionless  from  the  masts,  ready  for  the  wind,  which 
did  not  come ;  and  one,  with  nn  axe,  stood  ready  tQ 


(!rt)c   JFlrst   of   t!)e   2S^tiicfecri)ocfeers.  117 


cut  the  huge  cable  at  the  first  rustling  of  the  air.     But 
still  the  seemingly  doomed  vessel  lay, 

" without  breath  or  motion, 

As  idle  as  a  painted  ship 
Upon  a  painted  ocean." 

Every  preparation  was  therefore  made  for  the 
conflict  which  now  seemed  unavoidable  ;  and  although 
the  Zephyr  was  but  slightly  manned,  the  fierce  looks 
and  threats  of  twenty  bold  bucaneers  showed  that 
she  would  prove  no  easy  prey.  The  disadvantage 
of  the  pirates  consisted  in  being  greatly  outnumbered, 
and  in  the  fact  that  their  enemy,  if  beaten  oflf,  could 
reinforce  his  strength  and  renew  the  attack.  As  to 
the  guns  of  the  ship,  but  little  aid  was  expected  from 
them  in  the  silence  and  obscurity  of  a  night  attack, 
when  the  first  notice  of  their  foe  might  be  the  clash  of 
the  grappling  irons.  An  hour  elapsed,  and  a  distinct 
though  faint  sound  of  oars  was  heard.  Every  heart 
beat  quicker. 

"  All    hands   to   repel    boarders  !"    said   the    third 
oflicer,  in  a  suppressed  voice. 

"  Silence,  you  fool,"  retorted  Ralph  ;  "  do  you  think 
they'll  come  with  such  a  noise  as  that  ?" 

"Zephyr,   ahoy,  ahoy  !"  came   up   in    a   faint   but 
familiar  voice  from  under  the  bow. 

"  It's  the  Captain  /"  responded  twenty  voices   in   a 


breath,  and   before  the   buzz  of  excitement  had   sub- 
sided, Sinclair  stood  upon  the  deck. 

"  I  knew  Captain  Karl  wasn't  the  man  to  see  his 
comrades  fighting  against  odds,  and  he  not  there," 
said  a  privileged  old  ruffian,  with  an  oath. 

*'  No,  no,  my  boys,"  replied  the  Captain,  evidently 
in  a  state  of  the  most  intense  excitement ;  "  no,  no  ! 
the  Zephyr's  my  bride  ;  if  she's  lost,  so  am  I ;  but," 
he  continued,  drawing  Ralph  aside  and  lowering  his 
voice  still  more,  "  this  is  a  bad  fix,  Ripley  ;  but — 
you've  disposed  of  Sharp,  of  course  ?" 

'*  Disposed  of  him  ?"  growled  Ralph  ;  '*  he's  asleep, 
I  presume,  below,  taking  his  comfort  ;  he  must  not  be 
disturbed  on  any  account.  Probably  he'd  like  some- 
thing warm  for  supper." 

"  Tut,  tut,  over  with  him,  of  course  ;  I  did  not  cal- 
culate on  this ;  we  must  not  be  found  with  him  on 
board." 

"  Mr.  Ripley,"  whispered  a  sailor,  touching  him  and 
pointing  over  the  bow,  "  I  think  they're  coming,  sir." 

Ralph  looked  and  distinctly  saw  a  dark  object 
moving  slowly  and  noiselessly,  like  a  cloud  on  the 
water,  and  approaching  the  vessel  in  the  direction  of 
her  bow,  evidently  to  avoid  danger  from  the  guns. 

"  They're  coming.  Captain  Karl,"  he  said,  "  in 
earnest." 

"  So  is  the  nniid  /"   replied   Sinclair,   as   with   one 


2rt)E  ffixst  of   ttje   B-nicfecrliocfecvs .  ny 

hand  extended,  he  felt  the  air  ;  "  stand  by  to  cut  the 
cable." 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir." 

In  a  minute  more  a  flapping  noise  was  heard 
against  the  masts  ;  the  next,  the  sails  slightly  filled. 
The  order  to  cut  was  given,  and  the  parted  cable  fell 
with  a  splash  into  the  water ;  the  canvass  slowly 
distended,  and  the  vessel  came  gracefully  around,  and 
glided,  duck-hke,  down  the  bay. 

Flash  saw  it,  heard  it,  felt  the  growing  breeze  on 
his  cheek,  and  groaned  in  the  intensity  of  his  an- 
guish. A  parting  ball  skipped  past  him  on  the  wave, 
and  he  almost  wished,  for  the  moment,  that  it  had  not 
missed  its  aim. 

"'Twas  very  hard,  Captain  Grim,"  he  said,  as, 
twenty  minutes  afterwards,  he  stood  once  more  on 
shipboard,  gazing  gloomily  seaward ;  ''  she  slipped 
right  through  my  fingers,  sir,  at  the  very  last  minute," 
and  Flash  dashed  a  tear  from  his  cheek. 

"  Never  mind,  Harry,"  said  Grim,  whose  usual 
hauteur  had  yielded  to  admiration  of  his  young  ofii- 
cer's  valor ;  '•  never  mind  ;  Sir  Henry  shall  hear  all 
about  it ;  and  I'll  see  to  your  promotion  myself." 

This  unexpected  kindness  came  like  balm  to  the 
mortified  spirit  of  the  lieutenant.  He  knew  that 
Captain  Grim  was  not  lavish  either  of  praises  or 
promises,  and   he   knew,  moreover,  that  he   was  the 


120         a:jt)c   ffivnt   of   t\ft  SS^nicfeerliocfters. 

brother  of  one  of  the  Lords  of  the  AdmiraUty.  So 
Harry  took  heart,  and  made  the  best  of  it. 

Merrily,  meanwhile,  went  the  Zephyr  on  her  way, 
and  as  she  passed  slowly  along  near  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  bay,  the  despairing  Sharp  gazed  out 
from  a  crevice  in  his  prison,  and  looked  earnestly 
landward.  He  recognized,  even  by  starlight,  the 
shape  of  the  coast,  and  knew  it  as  his  own  soil,  and 
as  a  part  of  the  famed  Knickerbocker  manor.  Long 
and  wistfully  he  gazed,  clinging,  as  it  were,  by  hi  s 
eyes,  to  each  receding  point,  and  looking  still  in  the 
same  direction  when  it  had  faded  entirely  from  view. 

Onward  went  the  Zephyr,  rapidly,  merrily,  and 
bidding  a  final  adieu  to  the  bay  of  Manhattan  and  all 
its  appurtenances.  Off  Robins'  Reef  she  parted  with 
her  ubiquitous  Captain,  who  was  seen  the  next  morn- 
ing leisurely  smoking  his  meerschaum,  as  usual,  on  the 
piazza  of  Mynheer  Schnaffenswauzer's  inn. 

"  Flash,  my  fine  fellow,"  he  said,  as  he  was  acci- 
dentally joined  by  the  lieutenant,  "  they  tell  me  you 
had  bad  luck  last  night  ;  I  am  sorry  for  you ;  I  am, 
indeed.  I  always  thought  that — a — a — Ripton  there 
was  a  dem'd  pirate  ;  he  had  a  bad  look,  decidedly." 


2ri)f   jFfrst    of   t!)e   35^n(c!tPvbocfecvs .  121 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

There  were  few  to  mourn  the  abduction  of  Hiram 
Sharp.  Among  those  who  did  not  weep  was  poor 
Tony  West,  who  had  been  perpetually  haunted  by 
visions  of  the  released  Hiram  posting  to  Breuklyn 
to  reclaim  his  gold  and  disavow  his  promise.  But 
Tony  had  taken  some  slight  preventive  measures 
against  such  a  calamity ;  for  he  had  sewed  up  his 
treasure  in  a  leathern  bag,  and  had  inclosed  the  whole 
in  a  small  deal  box,  which  in  its  turn  he  had  buried 
deeply  in  his  master's  cellar,  and  covered  with  a 
heavy  hogshead,  and  thrice  a  day  did  poor  Tony 
steal  cautiously  down  to  see  if  his  huge  sentinel  was 
undisturbed. 

If  Evert  Knickerbocker's  wrongs  were  seemingly 
avenged  by  the  calamity  which  had  befallen  their 
author,  his  own  condition  was  by  no  means  improved. 
It  was  like  one  of  those  comfortable  processes  of  the 
law,  by  which,  sometimes,  a  criminal  is  heavily  fined  for 
depredations  upon  his  neighbor's  property,  the  amount 
of  the  amercem.ent  going  into  the  public  treasury, 
while  the  defrauded  party  gets  nothing  but  "  satisf^ic- 


122         2Cl)e   jFivst   of   tt)c  ^itickcvijocfecrs 


tion,"  and  that  of  rather  a  diluted  quality.  It  was 
indeed  rather  an  aggravation, of  E vert's  sufferings  to 
behold  the  exaltation  of  a  new  enemy,  whose  legiti- 
mate insignificance  was  unrelieved  by  the  shrewdness 
which  sometimes  saves  villainy  from  contempt. 
Benhadad's  condescension  was  harder  to  bear  than 
Hiram's  hate,  and  Evert,  in  the  exercise  of  Christian 
duty,  found  it  easier  to  forgive  the  father  than  to 
withhold  his  scorn  from  the  son.  For  Benhadad  had 
recovered  all  his  importance,  and  there  was  a  degree 
of  loftiness  even  in  his  grief,  a  sort  of  stately  solem- 
nity, which  was  quite  imposing.  He  felt  relieved 
from  further  responsibility  by  the  turn  which  events 
had  taken,  for  there  were  no  means  of  pursuing  his 
father,  or  taking  any  additional  steps  for  his  rescue. 
Whatever  had  been  the  cause  which  led  to  so  great  a 
crime,  there  seemed  no  reason  to  hope  for  a  return 
of  the  unfortunate  victim.  His  children  could  not  at 
once  assume  the  right  to  their  large  inheritance,  but 
they  had  all  the  essential  benefits  of  ownership,  with 
a  reasonable  certainty  of  the  future  title. 

Mr.  Knickerbocker,  meanwhile,  saw  his  means 
continually  decreasing,  with  no  prospect  of  relief  from 
utter  poverty.  He  felt  like  the  tenants  of  those  ingenious 
cells  of  torture,  the  walls  of  which  are  so  constructed 
as  to  move  daily  nearer  together,  until  their  hapless 
tenant  is  crushed  between  them.     He  saw  the   ap- 


Ef}t   ffivst   of   tije   SS-nicfe criioctters.         123 

proach  of  destitution,  and  estimated  daily  its  dimin- 
ished distance.  Ah,  dreadful  task  !  to  watch  the 
•outgoing  stream,  and  the  failing  fountain,  with  no 
power  to  stay  or  replenish  its  departing  tide.  But 
sorrows  come  not  singly,  and  the  venerable  Evert 
found  still  another  source  of  anxiety  in  the  impaired 
health  of  his  daughter.  Not  that  she  complained  of 
illness,  or  intermitted  her  usual  duties,  but  there  was 
'^ such  a  change^  in  EfRe.  She,  who  had  been  so 
cheerful  and  so  ready  to  impart  courage  to  him,  was 
now  herself  drooping,  and  the  more  evidently  so, 
from  her  earnest  but  ineffectual  attempts  to  maintain 
her  former  vivacity.  The  smile  faded  in  its  inception, 
the  once  ringing  laugh  was  now  forced  and  unnatural, 
the  sparkling  eyes  were  dimmed  with  frequent  tears, 
and  the  pallid  face  was  turned  aside  to  hide  them. 
Her  brother  was  the  first  to  notice  this  change  and  to 
guess  at  its  cause.  The  name  of  this  young  Nimrod, 
which  is  supposed  to  have  been  originally  Jedediah, 
had  been  shortened  by  immemorial  usage  in  the 
family  into  the  initial  syllable,  and  the  very  servants 
had  no  other  name  for  him  than  Massa  Jed.  His 
devotion  to  the  chase  was  unbounded,  and  it  gave 
additional  zest  to  the  reUsh  with  which  he  pursued  his 
forest  sports,  to  know  that  they  now  contributed  ma- 
terially to  the  maintenance  of  the  family.  He  was  a 
stout,   broad-shouldered   young   man,   with   the    full 


124         E\)t   iFfvst   of  ti)e   mnic  Herbocfecvs. 

glow  of  health  upon  features  which,  if  none  of  the 
handsomest,  possessed  the  inimitable  charm  of  good 
nature.  There  was  never  a  snarl  or  a  crotchet  visible 
on  his  face,  and  let  the  world  go  as  it  would,  he  had 
a  good  word  and  a  smile  for  everybody.  He  used  to 
say,  that  next  to  his  hounds  and  his  hunter  he  loved 
Effie,  but  the  truth  was  that  his  gentle  sister  had 
no  rival  in  his  affections.  During  the  period  of  Ru- 
dolph's recent  visits  to  the  Knickerbocker  family,  a 
warm  friendship  had  sprung  up  between  the  young 
men  ;  an  intimacy,  indeed,  of  that  sudden  growth 
which  could  originate  only  between  dispositions  alike 
frank  and  ingenuous.  They  had  walked,  and  ridden, 
and  hunted  together;  and  nearly  all  of  the  time 
which  Rudolph  had  not  devoted  to  Effie,  had  been 
passed  in  the  presence  of  her  brother.  Jed  had,  of 
course,  suspected  the  sentiments  of  the  lovers,  and 
Effie's  recent  dejection  had  confirmed  his  suspicions. 
He  felt  certain  that  there  was  some  unfathomed  mys- 
tery in  the  matter,  but  he  did  not  think  of  bestowing 
censure  upon  Rudolph,  whom  he  knew  to  be  the  soul 
of  sincerity  and  truth.  Affairs  stood  thus  for  several 
weeks,  and  Jed  looked  daily,  but  in  vain,  to  see  the 
returning  sunshine  of  his  sister's  smile,  and  to  hear 
her  wonted  voice  of  mirth  welcoming  him  home  from 
the  woodlands.  He  had  returned  one  afternoon  in 
unusual  spirits,  having  brought  down  two  noble  bucks 

s.. 


2ri)e   Jfifst   of   tf)c   2S^ni  cfeci-bocfee  cs.  125 

after  a  glorious  run,  and  he  was  so  delighted  himself 
that  he  felt  sure  of  seeing  Effie  in  her  wonted  glee. 
Nor  was  he  entirely  disappointed ;  she  met  him  with 
momentary  cheerfulness,  for  there  was  no  resisting 
his  contagious  enthusiasm,  and  poor  Jed  rejoiced  to 
believe  that  the  spell  was  at  length  really  broken. 

"  And  here  comes  father,"  he  shouted,  as  the  bend- 
ing form  of  Evert  was  seen  moving  slowly  up  the 
lawn  ;  "  two  bucks,  father — one  with  six  antlers,  and 
one " 

But  the  evident  abstraction  of  the  old  man,  and  the 
expression  of  his  features,  indicating  that  he  had  some- 
thing else  in  his  thoughts,  induced  the  son  to  pause. 

*•  Rudolph  is  going  to  Holland,"  said  Evert,  as  he 
drew  nigh. 

A  light,  trembling  hand  was  upon  Jed's  shoulder, 
and  at  the  next  moment  he  felt  that  Effie  was  leaning 
upon  him  for  support. 

"  Let  us  go  in,"  she  said,  as  she  slid  her  arm  within 
her  brother's  ;  "  the  air  grows  cold  ;"  and  Jed,  talking 
rapidly  for  her  relief,  accompanied  her  into  the  house. 

Evert's  intelligence  was  true.  Rudolph  had  re- 
solved to  bid  a  final  adieu  to  the  province,  and  to 
seek  his  fortunes  in  his  ancestral  land.  The  pending 
war  was  rich  in  inducements  both  to  patriotism  and 
ambition,  and  he  might  bury  his  griefs  in  its  turmoil, 
or,  which  seemed  scarcely  less  desirable,  terminate 


126         a:t)e  JFirst  of  ti)e  'B.nitttxhoctzvn . 

them  in  an  honorable  death.     His  Majesty's  brig-ot- 
war,  the  Terror,  had  been  repaired,  and,  being  on  the 
eve  of  saihng,  afforded  him  the  means  of  proceeding 
at  once  to  England,  whence  he   could  cross,  if  not 
directly  to  Holland,  by  reason  of  the  war,   yet  to 
some  part  of  the  continent  from  which  that  country 
would  be  easily  accessible.     He  had  one  trial  to  en- 
dure before  departing,  which   he  would  gladly  have 
avoided,  and  that  was  to  bid  adieu  to  the  Knicker- 
bockers.    Ordinary  civility  forbade  the  neglect  of  so 
obvious  a  duty,  and  a  few  days  prior  to  that  fixed  for 
his  departure,  he  nerved  himself  to  the  task.      Evert 
had  both  messages  and  packages  to  forward  to  his 
native  land,  and  gladly  availed  himself  of  Rudolph's 
offered  services  to  bear  them.     He  lauded  the  young 
man's  enterprise  and  courage,  and  wished  him  every 
success,  not  neglecting,  on  a  momentary  return  of  his 
monomania,  to  give  one  more  twinge  to  the  torture 
of  the  lover,  by  a  repetition  of  his  former  inquiry  in 
relation  to  Egbert.     Jed  was  not  at  home,  and  while 
Rudolph  was  talking  constrainedly  to  Effie,  the  old 
man  casually  strolled  away,  and  there  was  a  crisis 
when  it  seemed  that  something  must  occur  to  dispel 
the  singular  hallucination  which  rested  upon  two  in- 
genuous minds,  each  devotedly  attached  to  the  other, 
and  yet  about  to  separate  forever.     Ah  !    how  many 
a  term  of  misery  has  been  entailed   upon  generous 


Ef)t  jFivst   of   t^c  3S-nicfeerbocttcrs.         12*7 

and  noble  hearts  by  some  trifling  misunderstanding 
which  a  word  might  have  dispelled,  and  yet  that  word 
was  never  spoken. 

If  Rudolph  could  not  fail  to  notice  the  change  in 
Effie,  he  attributed  it  all  to  Egbert's  perfidy,  and  thus 
the  mesh  of  error  thickened  around  him  until  he  was 
entangled  at  every  point. 

"I  fear  that  my  father  is  troubling  you  w^ith  too 
many  commissions,"  said  Effie,  after  an  embarrassing 
pause  in  conversation. 

"  By  no  means,"  replied  Rudolph  ;  "  his  letters  will 
serve  as  an  introduction  for  me,  and  may  prove  of  the 
greatest  service.  Has  Miss  Knickerbocker  no  mes- 
sages for  her  friends  abroad  ?" 

"  I  believe  I  have  no  friends,"  replied  Effie,  smiling 
faintly,  "  excepting  father  and  Jed." 

"  It  will  take  something  from  my  sense  of  loneliness 
on  leaving— home,"  said  Rudolph,  "if  Miss  Knicker- 
bocker will  allow  me  to  believe  that  she  includes  me 
also  in  the  list." 

Effie  bowed,  and  turned  away,  unable  to  speak. 

There  was  another  pause,  but  no  good  angel  inter- 
vened to  show  this  mistaken  pair  their  folly  ;  a  forma! 
farewell  ensued — and  Rudolph  was  gone. 


128         2E|)0   iFUst    of    tt)c   l&nictttiiockets. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  sun  was  approaching  the  western  horizon,  and 
the  lengthened  shadows  were  stretching  across  the 
waters,  on  the  day  which  has  last  been  named,  when, 
on  the  portico  of  his  old  Dutch  mansion,  walking  ex- 
citedly to  and  fro,  now  pausing  and  muttering  to 
himself  as  he  looked  anxiously  down  the  road,  and 
now  resuming  his  rapid  and  noisy  march,  Peter 
Stuyvesant,  ex-governor  of  the  New  Netherlands, 
revolved  weighty  matters  in  his  mind.  He  was 
awaiting,  with  such  patience  as  h^  could  command, 
the  return  of  his  messenger  ilans  from  the  city,  who, 
after  long  delay,  was  seen  approaching  at  a  slow 
walk,  yet  very  much  out  of  breath.  Hans  was  no 
Ariel  in  figure  and  no  Puck  in  speed,  and  so  far  from 
putting  "  a  girdle  round  the  earth  in  forty  minutes," 
he  would  have  required  half  that  time  to  put  one 
around  a  circuit  equivalent  to  his  own  capacious 
waist ;  but  he  was  faithful  and  reliable  to  the  last 
flicker  of  the  feeble  judgment  which  reposed  beneath 
his  bushy  hair,  and  fat,  narrow  forehead. 

"  Well,  Hans,"  said  the  governor,  when  the  other 
had  recovered  his  breath,  "  have  you  seen  them  all  V 

"  Yaw,  Mynheer,"  said  Hans. 


2:t)C   JFitst    oi   tt)c   mnictterljocfecrs.  129 

"  Teunis,  and  Myndert,  and  Mr.  Knickerbocker?" 

**  Yaw,  Mynheer." 

'•  And  Stoutenburgh,  and  PofFenburgh,  and  Harden- 
burgh,  and  Vanderburgh  ?" 

"  Yaw,  Mynheer." 

"And  Van  Schaick,  and  Van  Schoonhoven,  and 
Van  Ness,  and  Van  Rensselaer,  and  Van  Kortland, 
and  Vanderpool,  and  Vandergrift,  and  Vanderveer, 
and  Vanderspeigle  ?" 

.'  Yaw " 

''  And  Livingston,  and  Duyckinck,  and  Romaine, 
and  Roosevelt,  and  Roorback,  and  Clapsaddle  ?" 

Still  the  answer  was  in  the  affirmative. 

•'  And  are  they  all  coming  ?"  continued  Stuyvesant, 
still  with  an  excited  air. 

They  were  all  coming. 

"  Go  now,  then,  to  Rudolph  Groesbeck,  and  tell  him 
that  I,  Peter  Stuyvesant,  wish  to  see  him  at  my  house 
I'orthwith,  on  private  business  of  importance  ;  tell  it 
to  him  alone,  apart,  and  secretly — and  tell  him  not  to 
speak  of  it;  do  you  understand  ?" 

"  Yaw,  Mynheer,"  said  Hans  ;  "  Mr.  Groesbeck 
musht  come,  and  musht  be  mum  ;"  and  the  tortoise 
express  was  again  under  way. 

It  was  not  long  before  Rudolph,  not  a  little  sur- 
prised at  his  singular  summons,  was  in  the  presence 
of  the  governor.  They  were  closeted  together  for 
7 


130  Efit  iFi^st   of   tlje  mnicfeevbocfeers. 

nearly  an  hour,  and,  before  their  conference  had  end- 
ed, the  congregated  guests  in  an  adjoining  apartment 
had  grown  impatient  for  the  appearance  of  their  host. 
He  joined  them  at  length  with  little  greeting,  and, 
taking  the    seat  which   had   been  reserved  for   him, 
lighted  his  pipe  and  smoked  for  a  long  time  in  silence. 
The   apartment   was  well  lighted  and   its  windows 
were  carefully  closed,  and  the  guests,  each  also  dili- 
gently  smoking,    had  the   air   of  men  whose   minds 
were  by  no   means  unoccupied.     There  was  a  look 
of  thought  and  expectation  on  every  face,  and  it  was 
quite  evident  that  no  one  present  was  ignorant  of  the 
general  object  of  their  convocation,'howmuch  soever 
he   might  be  in  the  dark  as  to  its  particular  design 
at  that  time.     Half  an  hour  elapsed,  and  the  clouds 
grew  thicker   and  the    silence  more  unbroken ;  and 
frequent  glances  were  turned,  not  to  the  governor's 
countenance,  but  to  his  particular  pillar  of  smoke,  to 
glean  some  indications   of  his  sentiments,  and  of  his 
approaching  remarks.     They  were  coming,  evidently 
enough;  and  wrathfully  too,  for  the  slow,  graceful  and 
thoughtful   wreaths  had  given  place  to   short,  quick, 
dense  puffs,  which  chased  each  other   to  the  ceiling 
like  miniature  thunder-clouds. 

*'  We  have  borne  it  long  enough,"  he  said  at  length  ; 
*'  we  have  borne  it  long  enough." 

"Long  enough,  Mynheer,"  answered  Tennis  Van- 


2ri)0   ffixHt   of  tijc   J&nicktxhottexH.         131 

derbilt ;  and  ''  long  enough"  echoed  from  every  part 
of  the  apartment,  followed  by  a  general  nodding  of 
heads,  and  increased  furiousness  of  fumigation.  There 
were  eyes,  too,  that  gleamed  like  live  coals  through 
those  clouds,  and  an  under-tone  of  wrath  ran  around 
the  room,  subsiding  only  as  the  speaker  resumed  his 
address : 

"  He  is  a  tyrant,  and  the  province  is  all  ready  to 
rise  :  Fort  Orange  could  be  ours  at  a  moment's  no- 
tice ;  Long  Island  is  ripe  for  revolt ;  New  Sweden 
is  impatient  for  the  word  ;  and  it  is  only  here  that  we 
are  powerless.  But  three  ships  of  war  from  home 
would  give  us  the  city — and  we  must  have  them" 

Innumerable  "  yaw-yaws"  responded  to  this  senti- 
ment, and  the  excitement  rapidly  increased. 

"  There  is  one  of  our  friends,"  continued  the  speaker, 
with  the  air  of  a  man  who  is  about  to  announce  a 
startling  fact,  "there  is  one  of  our  friends  who  starts 
the  day  after  to-morrow  for  Holland,  who  will  carry 
out  our  despatches,  and  further  our  designs." 

A  general  and  joyful  surprise  was  manifested  at  this 
announcement,  and  all  eyes  were  turned  upon  Yawpy 
PofFenburgh,  who,  having  recently  accomplished  the 
wonderful  feat  of  crossing  the  ocean,  was  supposed  to 
be  the  only  man  competent  to  the  task.  But  Yawpy, 
turning  slightly  pale  with  alarm  at  the  threatened  hon- 
ors, hastily  disavowed  any  intention  of  leaving  home. 


132  2ri)0   jFivst    of    tf)c  B-nicfeerbocfeer  s. 

He  knew  well  the  peril  of  attempting  such  a  mission, 
under  the  vigilant  watch  of  Lovelace  and  his  agents. 

***No,  no,  my  friends,"  added  Stuyvesant ;  "  here  is 
the  man,"  calling  in  Rudolph  from  an  adjoining  apart- 
ment, "  young,  ardent,  patriotic,  who  stands  ready  to 
aid  us — Rudolph  Groesbeck,  the  son  of  my  old  friend 
and  councillor,  Wilhelmus." 

Rudolph,  thus  introduced  to  the  assembly,  was  re- 
ceived with  cordial  greetings  and  shaking  of  hands, 
and  even  with  tears,  and  great  was  the  astonishment 
to  learn  that  the  studious  and  retired  youth  whom 
few  had  known  excepting  by  name,  was  brave  and 
patriotic,  and  ready  to  venture  his  life  in  the  good 
cause  which  they  all  had  so  deeply  at  heart.  He 
made  a  few  earnest  remarks,  assuring  them  of  his  own 
conviction  that  the  time  had  really  come  when  they 
might  hope  for  the  recovery  of  the  province  to  the 
Dutch  dominion. 

"  Our  friends  at  home,"  he  said,  "  are  maintaining  a 
successful  war  with  the  English  ;  let  them  once  know 
the  defenceless  state  of  this  country,  and  the  general 
disaffection  which  prevails  toward  the  existing  gov- 
ernment, and  they  will  send  us  the  little  help  which  is 
necessary  to  plant  the  banners  of  the  Stales  on  yon- 
der fort.  I  am  ready  to  bear  your  despatches  to  the 
home  government,  and  to  urge  attention  to  them  as 
best  I  can ;  and  although  I  shall  probably  never  re- 


t)c   ffivst   of   tt)c   mnicfecrtjocttcrs.         138 


visit  my  native  land,  its  welfare  will  ever  be  the  ob- 
ject of  my  earnest  solicitude.  There  is  peril  I  know 
in  my  undertaking,  but  I  should  be  spiritless  indeed, 
if  I  were  unwilling  to  encounter  danger  in  such  a 
cause.  Let  it  be  remembered,  however,  that  the 
hazard  is  chiefly  that  of  present  detection.  Once 
safely  out  of  this  port,  and  there  is  little  else  to  fear. 
Be  therefore,  one  and  all,  silent  and  discreet,  and  let 
no  word  or  action  give  rise  to  suspicion  of  my  errand; 
and,  above  all,  do  not  come  to  the  vessel  to  bid  me 
farewell,  for  we  have  a  vigilant  foe,  and  we  know  not 
who  are  his  agents  or  his  spies." 

Two  hours  before,  Rudolph  had  been  ignorant  of 
the  existence  of  the  plot  which  he  now  so  zealously 
espoused  ;  but  his  sudden  and  warm  advocacy  of  it 
should  be  no  matter  of  surprise.  It  opened  for  him  a 
present  field  of  action,  and  would  be  a  fitting  prelude 
to  his  proposed  plan  of  foreign  service.  Duty,  patri- 
otism, and  ambition  would  under  ordinary  circumstan- 
ces have  rendered  it  attractive,  and  the  prospect  of  a 
temporary  oblivion  of  his  grief  was,  in  his  unhappy 
state  of  mind,  a  more  potent  inducement  still.  It  need 
scarcely  be  said  that  peril  and  hardship  have  little  ter- 
ror for  a  mind  influenced  by  motives  like  these. 

The  venerable  Evert  had  been  a  most  astonished 
spectator  and  participant  of  this  unexpected  scene. 
*'  My  son,"  he  said,   "  have  you  fully  considered  the 


184         a:f)e  JFirst   of   tt)c   Slnicfeerbocfeers. 

hazard  of  this  enterprise  ?  do  you  know  that  it  may 
lead  to  death  ?" 

*'  I  do,"  replied  Rudolph,  solemnly :  ''  what  great 
enterprise  was  ever  accomplished  without  peril  ? 
But  let  us  not  fear  ;  Heaven  is  ever  on  the  side  of  the 
oppressed,  and  our  masters,  who,  not  content  with 
wresting  this  land  from  its  rightful  owners,  in  a  time 
of  peace,  have  heaped  wrongs  and  indignities  upon 
us,  may  yet  feel  the  edge  of  retribution.  You,  my 
dear  sir,  above  all  who  are  here,  have  felt  the  heavy 
hand  of  tyranny,  and  to  you,  above  others,  should 
the  prospect  of  enfranchisement  be  welcome." 

**  And  so  it  is,  my  dear  boy,  so  it  is,"  said  Evert, 
drawing  the  young  hero  apart,  as  the  conversation  be- 
came general  among  the  confederates  ;  "  but  alas  !  I 
fear  there  is  little  to  be  hoped  for  from  home.  Hol- 
land is  fighting  against  two  powerful  nations,  and  is 
fearfully  divided  in  her  own  councils  besides.  We 
cannot  shut  our  eyes  to  these  facts,  or  expect  aid  from 
a  country  which  may,  alas  !  at  this  very  moment  be 
conquered  and  overrun." 

*'  We  can  try,"  rejoined  Rudolph,  firmly  ;  "  we  can 
try.  Let  us  *at  least  keep  up  good  cheer,  and  not  injure 
our  cause  by  unnecessary  fears.  It  is  natural  that 
you,  who  have  seen  so  many  hopes  blasted,  should 
learn  to  despair,  but  to  the  young  and  vigorous,  a  dif- 
ferent duty  belongs." 


S:!)c   JFivst   of   tt)e   B-nicfecr  1)0 titers.         135 

Evert  grasped  the  hand  of  Rudolph,  and  tears 
rained  from  the  old  man's  eyes,  as  he  exclaimed, 
"  Heaven  keep  thee,  my  boy,  and  in  better  times  bring 
thee  safely  back  to  us  again." 

Governor  Stuyvesant  proceeded  next  to  lay  before 
his  friends  a  brief  petition  addressed  to  the  government 
of  the  States  General,  setting  forth  the  defenceless 
state  of  the  province,  the  feasibility  of  its  re-conquest 
and  its  vast  importance  to  the  States,  and  urging  their 
immediate  action,  with  the  promise  of  general  co- 
operation on  the  part  of  the  Dutch  inhabitants.  It  was 
couched  in  concise  and  eloquent  terms,  and  met  with 
general  approval  ;  but  when  the  governor  called  for 
pen  and  ink  for  the  purpose  of  affixing  their  signatures 
to  the  document,  the  cautious  Yawpy  interposed  an 
objection.  Rudolph  might  be  suspected  and  arrested, 
and  the  discovery  of  the  paper  would  be  fatal  to 
them  all. 

A  frown  of  fearful  import  darkened  the  brow  of 
Stuyvesant  at  this  suggestion,  and  Poffenburgh,  quail- 
ing before  the  threatened  rebuke,  sought  hastily  to 
explain  his  views,  but  the  irate  old  governor  turned 
scornfully  from  his  discomfited  colleague,  and  again 
called  for  pen  and  ink. 

Yawpy  whispered  a  moment  to  old  Mr.  Van 
Schaick,  whose  silvery  hairs  and  mild  voice,  as  he 
addressed  their  leader,  at  once  mollified  his  wrath, 


136  Bfft   iFivst    of    t!)e    l^uicfeerbocferrs. 

and  gained  attention.  It  was  not  for  themselves,  but 
for  their  cause,  he  said,  that  the  suggestion  had  been 
made,  and  he  beheved  it  was  correct.  The  death  of 
a  few  gray-headed  men  Hke  themselves  was  of  but  lit- 
tle consequence,  but  with  their  fall  would  probably 
terminate  all  hope  of  the  great  object  which  they  had 
in  view,  the  re-conquest  of  the  New  Netherlands.  Let 
the  matter,  he  said,  be  calmly  considered.  And  the 
prudent  counsel  prevailed.  Rudolph  himself  urged  it, 
as  the  safest  course  ;  he  would  feel,  he  said,  too  great 
responsibility  if  any  indiscretion  of  his  could  jeop- 
ard so  many  valuable  lives.  He  could  sufficiently 
explain  the  names  and  rank  and  character  of  the  peti- 
tioners to  the  government,  and  their  reasons  for  with- 
holding their  signatures.  He  even  proposed  copying 
the  memorial  himself,  lest  its  detection  should  prove 
fatal  to  poor  Myndert  Ten  Eyck,  in  whose  well-known 
crotchety  characters  it  now  appeared.  "  In  short," 
he  said,  "  If  I  am  detected,  nothing  can  avert  my  fate  ; 
but  let  me  at  least  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  I  fall  alone,  the  first  and  only  victim  to  this  noble 
enterprise."  With  an  animated  countenance  and  lofty 
bearing,  Rudolph  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  apartment, 
a  young  man  surrounded  by  gray- beards,  eloquent 
in  word  and  action,  from  the  force  of  strong  and  nat- 
ural feeling.  Again  they  pressed  around  him,  those 
venerable   patriots,   with    congratulations  and   tears. 


Efft   jFtrst  of   tt)e   l^nicitcvliocfects.         137 

overwhelmed  with  admiration  and  gratitude  at  his 
noble  self-devotion.  He  now  became  the  recipient  of 
innumerable  messages  and  injunctions,  each  of  which 
was  to  be  labelled  private  and  important,  and  laid 
away  on  some  conspicuous  shelf  of  his  memory.  He 
received  the  petition,  and  was  to  copy  it  carefully, 
and  destroy  the  original  before  going  on  shipboard. 
He  received  also  a  plan  of  the  harbor  and  channel, 
with  the  position  of  the  fort,  which  had  been  prepared 
with  great  labor  by  the  considerate  governor  for  the 
use  of  the  Dutch  fleet,  which,  in  imagination,  the  ex- 
ulting Hollanders  already  saw,  standing  up  the  bay. 
This  last-named  document  contained  no  writing  except 
a  few  words  and  figures  printed  with  a  pen,  which 
could  not  possibly  lead  to  a  discovery  of  its  author. 
Thus  armed  with  resources,  and  feeling  like  one  to 
whom  a  mighty  trust  is  confided,  Rudolph  bade  his 
friends  an  affectionate  farewell,  and  the  assembly  dis- 
persed. 

On  the  next  day  he  was  on  shipboard,  preparing 
for  his  departure.  It  was  a  mild,  warm  day,  and  he 
sat  thoughtfully  upon  the  deck,  reviewing  his  singular 
position.  His  excitement  had  in  a  degree  subsided, 
for  the  hazard  was  too  slight,  and  his  hoped  success 
too  remote  to  tell  forcibly  now  upon  his  feelings  ; 
and  his  thoughts  naturally  reverted  to  the  same  dark 
channel  in  which  they  had  previously  flowed.  Ah, 
7* 


138         2C1)C   ffixst  of  ti)e  lElnicfeeriJocfeers 

what  now,  he  thought,  would  have  been  his  ecstacy, 
if  he  had  been  the  possessor  of  Effie's  love !  How 
would  he  have  looked  forward  with  all  the  ardor  of  a 
youthful  imagination,  while  Fame  and  Wealth  were 
thus  beckoning  him  in  the  distance  !  How  would  all 
his  lofty  hopes  have  been  blended  with  her  dear 
image,  all  the  glorious  future  been  radiant  with  her 
smiles  !  He  turned  sadly  from  this  picture  and  thought 
of  the  morrow's  gloom  ;  for  only  one  day  more,  and 
the  warning  song  of  the  mariners  would  be  heard  as 
they  raised  the  heavy  sails,  or  wound  the  slow-mov- 
ing windlass.  The  flapping  canvass  and  the  creaking 
shrouds  would  sound  dismally  in  his  ears,  while  the 
shouted  orders,  and  the  prompt  response,  and  all  the 
busy  bustle  of  departure  would  be  heard.  While  thus 
musing  sadly  and  abstractedly,  a  familiar  voice  was 
in  his  ear,  and  Jed,  clad  in  his  hunting  habiliments, 
stood  before  him.  He  had  approached  unobserved* 
in  a  small  boat  from  the  shore,  and  it  was  with  some 
abatement  of  his  usual  air  of  cheerfulness  that  he  ex- 
tended his  hand  to  bid  his  friend  farewell. 

**  So,  Ru — you  are  really  going,  eh  ?"  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Ru — ruefully  enough. 

"  Never  to  see  New  York  again  ?" 

"  Never  !"  said  Groesbeck. 

"  Nor  your  brother — nor  uncle  Dave  f" 

''  No !" 


2E|)e  iFivst   of  tjje  l^Knicfeerijockcrs.        139 

"  Nor  father — nor  me  ?"  continued  Jed. 

"  No,  never,  Jed." 

**Nor — nor  Snap — nor  the  hounds — nor  Bucepha- 
lus there  ?"  pointing  with  his  riding-whip  to  his  hunter, 
tied  on  the  wharf. 

**  No,"  again  answered  Rudolph. 

'<  Nor — nor — Effie  ?"  continued  Jed,  at  length,  eye- 
ing his  companion  closely,  but  with  seeming  care- 
lessness. 

Rudolph  turned  pale,  and  despite  his  most  strenuous 
efforts  at  composure,  his  voice  faltered  as  he  replied : 

"  No,  my  dear  fellow,  never — never." 

Jed  required  no  further  proof  of  suspicions  which 
had  before  nearly  amounted  to  certainty. 

"You're  sure  you're  doing  right,  I  suppose,  Ru- 
dolph ?"  he  continued,  after  a  pause,  and  slashing  the 
deck  meanwhile  with  his  whip. 

"  I  believe  that  I  am,"  replied  Groesbeck,  with  sur- 
prise ;  "  at  all  events  I  leave  but  few  behind  me  who 
are  interested  in  my  fate." 

^'Rudolph,"  rejoined  Jed,  still  looking  deckward, 
and  whipping  the  planks,  **  I  have  not  come  to  you 
with  any  message  or  mission,  or  with  the  knowledge 
of  any  one ;  I  am,  as  you  see,  on  my  way  to  the 
forest,  and  yonder,  even  now,  goes  old  Jake  with  the 
hounds.     But  I  have  turned  aside— -Ru— to  bid  yo^ 


•  140         CCtje    jfixst  of    tjlje   mnicfeerbocfeers. 

farewell,  and  to  ask  you  if  you  are  sure,  quite  sure — 
Ru — that  you  are  doing  right  ?" 

*'  There  is  some  hidden  meaning  in  your  words,  Jed,'* 
replied  Rudolph,  hurriedly  and  hoarsely  ;  "  speak 
plainly,  quickly,  for  the  love  of  Heaven  !" 

*'  I  will,"  said  Jed  ;  "  Effie " 

**Yes "  exclaimed  Rudolph. 

"  Effie " 

"  Yes,"  was  again  the  eager  response. 
*'  I  cannot  tell  you,  Ru  ?  she  would  die,  if  she 
thought  I  had  spoken  to  you — she  has  never  said  or 
hinted  a  word  to  me — but  I  can  see,  Rudolph,  and  I 
fear  you  are  laboring  under  some  dreadful  mistake ;" 
and  Jed  slashed  the  poor  deck  more  unmercifully 
than  ever. 

" Does  she  care  aught  for  me?''  asked  Groesbeck, 
quickly,  and  seizing  the  hand  of  his  companion  with 
the  grasp  of  a  vice ;  "does  she  not  love  Egbert. — ex» 
pect — hope  for  his  return  ?" 

"  That  she  never  loved  Egbert — that  she  loathes 
him  now — that  she  does  not  expect  or  desire  his  re- 
turn— that  the  wealth  of  worlds  could  not  induce  her 
to  smile  upon  him — all  this  1  know^  replied  Jed  ; 
*'  that  she  cares  for  you,  Rudolph,  it  is  hardly  proper 
for  me  to  say ;  but  she  used  to  be  happy  in  your  pres- 
ence, and  now  she  is — —but  I  have  said  enough, 
Ru — too  much,  perhaps,  so— ^ — good  bye/' 


2rf)e  iFivst  of  tt)t  mnicfeerfaocfecrs.         141 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  exclaimed  Groesbeck,  starting 
in  three  several  directions  in  a  breath,  and  each  time 
coming  back  to  the  same  spot ;  "  wait  a  minute, 
Jed  ;— halloo  there,  you,  Jack  !  Jim  !  Joe  !"  calling 
down  below  and  summoning  to  the  gangway  the  ap- 
parition of  a  woolly-headed  waiter,  with  a  very 
frightened  aspect ;  "  I'm  going  on  shore,  Bill,"  he  said  ; 
**  take  care  of  my  boxes  there  you  know — come 
along,  Jed — and  halloo  there — don't  sail,  you  know, 
till  I  come  back." 

The  white  eyes  of  the  negro  expanded  over  the 
sable  disc  of  his  face  like  the  passing  off  of  an  eclipse  ; 
''  Golly,  massa,"  he  said,  "  I  can't  stop  her." 

''  Oh,  very  true,  Sam,"  said  Rudolph,  whose 
thoughts,  revolving  in  a  whirl  of  excitement,  were 
fairly  jumbled  together  ;  "  very  true,"  he  said  ;  for  at 
that  moment  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  three  distinct 
ideas  as  they  floated  by — the  first  of  which  was,  that 
the  negro  was  not  the  captain  ;  the  second,  that  the 
vessel  would  not  wait  three  seconds  for  him  in  any 
event ;  and  the  third,  that  she  was  not  to  sail  until  the 
next  day,  and  that  he  would  therefore  have  ample 
time  to  get  back  before  her  departure,  without  the 
aid  of  seven-league  boots.  "  So  come  along,  Jed,'^he 
exclaimed  once  more,  and  the  friends  departed  to- 
gether. 

The   events   which    immediately    ensued    scarcely 


142         Efit  ifirst  of  t\)t  B^nicfeerbocfeers. 

require  to  be  narrated.  Jed  did  not  accompany  his 
friend  to  his  father's  home,  and  Effie,  while  walking  in 
the  garden, 

"  Its  fairest  flowers  eclipsed  by  her,"' 

beheld  Rudolph  approaching,  and  anticipated  with 
dread  another  painful  interview.  But  there  was  a 
new,  strange  look  on  his  flushed  features,  and  he  called 
her  "  EfRe."  The  "  Terror  "  was  lying  within  their 
view,  and,  at  Rudolph's  instance,  they  strolled  toward 
the  river  that  they  might  see  it  the  more  plainly. 
There  stood  the  latticed  arbor,  and  loitering,  embar- 
rassedly,  half  within  it,  to  adjust  a  fallen  vine,  Eflie's 
little  hand  has  been  taken  gently  captive,  and  pressed 
to  burning  lips,  and  warm  and  fervent  words  of  love, 
of  pure  and  holy  love,  are  murmured  in  her  ear.  The 
whole  story  of  his  alternating  hopes  and  fears,  of  his 
single-hearted  and  truthful  affection,  has  been  told, 
and  repeated,  but  has  not  been  answered.  No  word 
has  spoken  approval,  and  no  look  has  betokened  it — 
but  the  little  hand  is  un withdrawn,  and  the  half  averted 
face,  and  the  drooping  lids,  and  the  one  trembling  tear 
are  more  eloquent  than  words.  There  are  scenes  and 
sentiments  which  should  be  left  undesecrated  by  pen 
or  pencil,  and  which  only  the  Daguerrean  power  of 
the  imagination  can  portray.  Smile  ye  who  will,  but 
pure  and  passionless  affection  is  no  chimera  of  the 


(!rt)e   iFivst   of   f^t   Itnicfeevbocfeers.         143 

mind.  The  fountain  in  the  desert — the  flower  on  the 
heath — a  star  in  the  clouded  sky,  these  are  its  images 
and  its  types,  as  far  as  mortal  objects  can  adumbrate 
immortality.  But  let  it  rather  be  compared  to  those 
brilliant  constellations  of  the  northern  firmament, 
which,  never  sinking  beneath  the  horizon,  disappear 
from  view  only  when  lost  in  the  brighter  effulgence 
of  heaven. 


144         a:j)e   ffivst   of   t|)e   Unicftertocfters. 


CHAPTER     XV. 

On  that  memorable  evening  when  the  conclave  at 
Governor  Stuyvesant's  w^as  in  session,  a  single  horse- 
man, casually  passing  the  house,  had  his  attention 
arrested  by  the  singular  appearance  of  the  light 
bursting  through  the  chinks  and  crannies  of  the 
closed  blinds,  in  the  room  which  all  New  York  knew 
to  be  the  governor's  best  parlor.  The  equestrian 
gazed  a  little  while,  wonderingly,  and  was  about  to 
pass  on,  when  the  dismissed  party  came  pouring  out 
of  the  front  door-way,  uttering  many  a  loud  "  good 
night "  to  their  host,  who,  candle  in  hand,  watched 
them  down  the  lawn.  It  was  a  dark  evening,  lighted 
faintly  by  the  stars,  and  there  were  shadowy  spots  on 
the  wayside,  beneath  overhanging  trees,  which  were 
darker  still.  Into  one  of  these  the  rider  reined  his 
horse,  and,  unobserved,  awaited  the  approach  of  the 
party.  Their  nodding  heads  and  whispering  voices 
and  vehement  gestures  conveyed  no  other  idea  to  the 
listener  than  the  addition  of  some  new  ghost  to  the 
spirit-family  of  the  island,  whose  advent  was  the  sub- 
ject of  comment,  and  whose  assaults  were  to  be  avoid- 


^])t  iFii'st   of    tt)c   B-nicttcvfco  citrrs  ,  145 


ed  by  clustering  closely  together.  But  the  frequent 
mention  of  Rudolph's  name,  and  the  appearance  of 
one  slight  and  erect  form,  towering  above  the  bended 
figures  of  his  companions,  excited  no  little  surprise. 
A  party  of  old  Dutch  gentlemen  at  the  governor's 
was  no  unusual  occurrence,  but  what  was  young 
Groesbeck  doing  in  such  an  assemblage?  Thus 
wondering,  though  only  with  the  curiosity  of  an  idle 
mind,  and  attaching  no  importance  to  the  occurrence, 
the  horseman  waited  until  the  party  had  passed,  and 
then  resumed  his  way.  It  has  been  said  that  there 
was  starlight  only,  and  that  of  the  faintest  kind,  but 
feeble  as  were  the  celestial  rays,  they  would  have 
revealed  to  the  most  careless  observer,  in  the  propor- 
tions of  the  rider,  in  his  position  and  motions,  and  in 
the  general  Benhadadity  of  his  air,  the  person  of  the 
junior  Sharp.  But  Benhadad  was  not  Hiram,  or  no 
bubble  had  been  too  frail,  no  brushed  cobweb  too 
evanescent,  to  emblem  the  brilliant  scheme  on  which 
so  many  hopes  were  hung. 

Yet  when,  on  the  second  ensuing  day,  mingling  with 
the  crowd  who  thronged  to  see  the  departure  of  "  the 
Terror,"  Sharp  heard  for  the  first  time  that  Rudolph 
was  on  board,  a  passenger  to  England,  a  slow,  dull, 
tedious  process  of  ratiocination  began  to  take  place 
in  his  brain,  confusedly  connecting  the  event  with  the 
circumstances  of  which  he  had  so  lately  been  a  wit- 


146         5CI)e  iFirst    of   tijc   ^nic^txhocttvs. 

ness.  At  times  he  seemed  to  catch  the  glimpse  of  an 
idea  beyond  the  isolated  facts,  and  to  wonder  whether 
there  was  not  something  strange  in  it,  and  then,  with 
much  chuckling  at  his  sagacity,  he  resolved  to  men- 
tion the  matter  to  Governor  Lovelace — the  very  first 
time  that  he  should  meet  that  officer.  In  the  mean 
time  many  anxious  hearts  were  watching  the  em- 
barkation. From  the  long  Dutch  stoop  of  Evert 
Knickerbocker ;  from  the  terrace  of  Anthony  Ten 
Broeck  ;  from  the  distant  windows  of  the  Van 
Schaicks  and  Van  Tassels,  the  Van  Bummels  and 
Van  Pelts,  old  heads  and  spectacled  eyes  were  peer- 
ing; and  whispering  voices  asked,  and  whispered 
words  replied  that  all  seemed  safe  and  quiet  yet. 
They  had  regarded  Rudolph's  prudent  injunctions  in 
remaining  at  home,  but  painful  indeed  was  their  sus- 
pense. Rudolph  himself  was  not  free  from  fear.  His 
new  hopes,  the  bliss  w^hich  had  so  suddenly  deluged 
his  heart,  had  increased  by  a  thousand  fold  his  value 
of  life;  and  the  perils  which  he  had  held  so  lightly 
before,  seemed  now  of  no  trivial  magnitude.  It  was 
not  now  as  an  exile  that  he  was  about  to  quit  his 
native  shores,  but  as  a  patriot,  bound  on  a  lofty  mis- 
sion, and  looking  forward  to  a  speedy  return  and  a 
happy  reunion  with  the  friends  whom  he  left  behind. 
Not  that  he  shrunk  from  encountering  peril,  or  would 
have  abated   aught  from   the  glorious  enterprise  to 


STije   JFivst   of   tf)r   Wi.nicttvhocttxu.  147 

which  he  had  pledged  his  exertions  ;  but  it  was  with 
a  fast  beating  heart  that  he  watched  the  slow  pro- 
cesses of  raising  the  heavy  anchors,  and  setting  the 
ample  sails.  The  musical  chorus  of  the  sailors,  as  they 
bent  cheerily  to  their  tasks,  became  harsh  and  discor- 
dant sounds  to  his  excited  nerves,  and  his  suspense 
was  increased  by  his  inability  to  judge  of  the  point  of 
progress  attained  in  these  mysterious  operations. 

Benhadad  continued  an  interested  spectator  of  the 
scene,  and  as  the  affair  of  Rudolph  continued  to  occur 
at  intervals  to  his  mind,  he  looked  around  for  some 
one  to  whom  he  might  mention  his  thoughts.  But 
seeing  no  one  in  the  undistinguished  throng  around 
him  worthy  of  his  confidence,  he  again  wrapped 
himself  in  his  dignity,  in  which  very  comfortable 
envelope  he  bade  fair  to  remain  inclosed  until  after 
the  departure  of  the  vessel.  Now  it  so  happened 
that  Mr.  Lieutenant  Flash,  who  had  been  necessarily 
delayed  on  shore,  was  approaching  at  this  late  hour 
to  take  boat  for  the  ship.  Benhadad  bade  him  fare- 
well as  he  passed,  and,  swelling  with  suppressed  dig- 
nity, motioned  to  him  for  a  moment's  delay,  for  so  loyal 
an  officer,  he  thought,  would  of  course  be  glad  to  hear 
any  suspicions  against  anybody.  Flash  did  not  at 
first  recognize  him,  but  after  a  moment's  pause 

"  Oh— ah,"  he  said,  "  Mr. — a — a — the  man  that  lost 
his  father — good  bye — we'll  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for 


14S  2rf)c   ffixst   of    t'i)e   B-nicttcrfioctters. 

the  Zephyr,  and  may  take  her  yet  ;  keep  up  good 
heart ;  good  bye." 

"  Yes,  thank  you,"  said  Benhadad ;  "  but  I  was 
going  to  observe,"  laying  his  hand  on  the  lieutenant's 
shoulder,  and  lowering  his  voice,  "  that  Mr.  Rudolph 
Groesbeck " 

"  Oh,  I  know  it,"  said  Flash  ;  "  he  goes  out  as  pas- 
senger— fine  fellow — good  bye." 

"  Yes,  sir — but  he  is " 

"  On  board  already — of  course — certainly,  good 
bye  ;"  and  before  Benhadad  could  reply,  the  lieuten- 
ant was  in  his  boat,  and  his  sashed  and  sworded  little 
figure,  standing  erect  as  a  mast,  was  gliding  shipward 
as  fast  as  two  brawny  oarsmen  could  propel  him. 
The  Zephyr  had  not  slipped  through  Mr.  Flash's 
fingers  more  effectually  than  that  gentleman  slipped 
through  the  fingers  of  Mr.  Sharp,  who,  angered  and 
abashed  at  such  disrespectful  treatment,  once  more 
looked  around  for  some  one  to  whom  his  intelligence 
might  prove  acceptable. 

But  the  anchor  is  well  nigh  in — the  sails  are  nearly 
set — the  last  boat  is  hoisted  up,  and  swings,  dangling, 
like  a  toy,  at  the  vessel's  side,  and  noble  hearts  beat 
freer,  and  aching  eyes  grow  less  vigilant  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

"  Ah,  Sharp,  my  dear  friend,  how  are  you  ?"  said  a 
mild,  bland  voice  in  Benhadad's  ear  :  "  a  fine  vessel, 


C:t)c   jfitst   of   tijc   Unickerijockers.  149 

isn't  she  ?  I  understand  our  ruralizing,  botanizing, 
contemplative,  poetical  friend,  young  Groesbeck,  goes 
out — eh  ?  where  the  deuce  is  he  going  to  ?" 

"  See  here,  Captain  Sinclair  !"  exclaimed  Benhadad, 
now  burning  with  his  pent  secret ;  and,  drawing  his 
companion  aside,  he  whispered  earnestly  for  some 
moments  in  his  ear,  during  which  period  the  Captain's 
countenance  underwent  some  singular  changes.  "  I 
dare  say," concluded  the  informant,"  there's  nothing  in 
it,  of  course,  you  know — but  then— it's  queer,  isn't  it  V* 

"  Blinds  closed — all  Dutchmen — Rudolph  the  only 
young  man  present — and  he  now  starting  off  mysteri- 
ously in  the  Terror — war  raging  between  Holland  and 
England,"  repeated  Sinclair,  touching  at  once  on  the 
prominent  points  ;  "  why,  here  is  no  suspicion,  man  ; 
here  is  certainty  /" — and  before  Benhadad  could  reply 
his  companion  had  vanished  with  a  celerity  equal  to 
that  of  Flash,  but  in  quite  a  different  direction. 

"It's  strange  what  a  confounded  hurry  they're  all 
in,"  muttered  Benhadad,  as  he  again  gave  himself  up 
to  a  contemplation  of  the  majestic  vessel,  which  now 
came  gracefully  around,  and,  with  distended  sails, 
stood  gallantly  down  the  bay. 

Then  came  the  flash,  the  smoke,  the  loud  reverber- 
ation of  the  parting  salute,  the  prompt  response  from 
the  fort,  the  merry  cheers,  and  waving  hats,  and  signs 
of  last  adieu.     Steadily  onward,  slowly  at  first,  but 


150         Sri)^   jFivst   of  ti)«   B^nic  ttetbocfecrs. 

more  briskly  soon,  she  passes  on  her  way,  leaving 
town  and  fort  behind ;  and  the  banners  of  St.  George 
are  fluttering  at  her  peak,  and  the  merry  troll  of  the 
mariners  comes  more  faintly  to  the  ear,  and  long,  deep 
breaths  are  drawn  by  fervent  hearts  on  shore,  and 
hopes  are  growing  brighter,  and  grateful  tears  are 
shed. 

Many  minutes  elapsed,  but  the  gaping  crowd  did 
not  disperse.  Some  new  commotion  has  arrested  the 
general  gaze.  Messengers  were  seen  passing  rapidly 
to  and  from  the  government  house ;  signals  were 
flying  from  the  fort;  the  governor  himself,  accompa- 
nied by  Captain  Sinclair,  made  his  appearance,  and 
walked  hastily  to  the  Battery,  and  strange  whisperings 
of  unintelligible  events  prevailed.  Presently  the 
guns  of  the  fort  were  fired  in  quick  succession,  and 
after  considerable  delay,  a  sail- boat,  darting  out  into 
the  stream,  went  racing  down  the  bay,  in  the  wake 
of  the  Terror.  A  hundred  hearts  stood  still,  but  on- 
ward went  the  ship.  In  vain  did  the  echoing  cannon 
continue  to  thunder  from  the  fort :  they  were  regard- 
ed only  as  repetitions  of  the  parting  salute,  and  as 
such  were  from  time  to  time  replied  to  by  the  guns  of 
the  vessel.  The  signals  were  either  not  seen,  or  not 
understood,  and  all  the  alternating  hopes  and  fears  of 
the  spectators  soon  centred  upon  the  relative  speed  of 
the  messenger  boat  and  its  leviathan  chase.     Had  the 


^ffc   iFirst   ot  t|)c   l^nicktviioc'kevs .         151 

wind  been  fresh,  the  ship  with  its  towering  cloud  of 
canvass  would  doubtless  soon  hav©'  passed  from  view, 
but  the  breeze,  while  strong  enough  to  give  the 
feathery  little  bark  a  rapid  headway,  told  of  course 
less  effectually  upon  its  bulky  competitor.  Yet  the 
difference  of  speed  was  too  slight  to  admit  of  making 
any  certain  calculations  upon  the  result.  A  stern 
chase  is  proverbially  a  long  one,  and  the  waterman 
who  guided  the  little  craft  had  been  despatched,  in 
the  hurry  of  the  hour,  unprovided  with  the  means  of 
making  any  conspicuous  signals. 

Rudolph  stood  meanwhile  upon  the  quarter-deck  of 
the  Terror,  a  prey  to  the  most  harrowing  anxiety. 
With  a  sagacity  sharpened  by  the  danger  which  sur- 
rounded him,  he  had  at  once  conjectured  the  cause  of 
the  commotion  on  shore,  and  he  watched  with  fearful 
interest  the  progress  of  the  pursuing  boat.  His  first 
impulse  was  to  destroy  the  papers  which  might  prove 
such  fearful  evidence  against  him,  but  their  impor- 
tance to  the  success  of  his  mission  was  such  that  he 
resolved  to  defer  their  destruction  until  more  certain 
of  its  necessity.  He  thought  that  his  fears  might 
magnify  the  danger ;  that  the  pursuit  might  be  for 
some  other  object,  and  that,  at  all  events,  there  would 
be  abundant  opportunity  for  such  a  purpose  before 
any  one  authorized  either  to  arrest  or  examine  him 
could  board  the  vessel,  for  the  present  pursuer  was 


152         2rt)c   jjritst    of   tl)c   mnickerbocfeers. 

clearly  enough  no  officer  of  justice.  Concealing  his 
trepidation  as  best  he  could,  he  awaited  the  course 
of  events,  and  to  avoid  directing  attention  to  the  sail- 
boat, was  obliged  to  content  himself  with  only  occa- 
sional and  furtive  glances  in  that  direction.  Lieu- 
tenant Flash  joined  him  and  rallied  him  upon  his  low 
spirits :  "  Just  so  myself,"  he  said,  "  the  first  time  I 
went  to  sea — all  right,  sir — you'll  be  sea-sick  by-and- 
by,  and  then  you'll  feel  better ;  but  halloo  !  what's 
this  ?"  he  continued,  as  looking  off  toward  the  har- 
bor, through  his  sea-glass,  he  caught  sight  of  the  sail 
in  their  wake  ;  "  why,  Groesbeck,  she's  chasing  us, 
making  signals,  and  all  that ;  she  is,  indeed  ;  there 
must  be  something  wrong;"  and  the  lieutenant  was 
about  to  transmit  the  intelligence  to  the  Captain,  when 
he  felt  the  hand  of  Rudolph  upon  his  shoulder,  and, 
turning  around,  saw  the  pale  face  of  his  companion 
looking  earnestly  at  him. 

"  Mr.  Flash,"  he  said,  "  do  you  believe  me  to  be 
guilty  of  any  crime  deserving  of  death  ?" 

"  You  !  crime  !  death  .'"  replied  Flash,  rapidly  ; 
*'  why,  no  sir,  of  course  not.     I  know  better." 

"  Look  this  way,  then,"  said  Rudolph,  whisperingly  ; 
"  I  cannot  tell  you  now  what  I  mean  ;  but  do  not  look 
at  that  boat  ;  do  not  point  your  glass  toward  her — 
for  it  is  probable  that  my  life  depends  upon  her  not 
overtaking  us." 


Sl)c   JFirst  of   tt)c   Bn(cfteri)ocfeers.         16S 

'*What — what — what?"  said  Flash,  hastily,  and 
laying  down  his  glass;  "is  it  so?"  and,  turning  from 
Rudolph,  he  issued  a  succession  of  rapid  orders, 
which  were  as  rapidly  obeyed  by  the  sailors,  and 
another  snowy  sail  capped  the  pyramidal  canvass 
that  rose  above  the  decks  of  the  Terror.  *'The 
Captain  and  First  are  at  dinner  yet,"  he  said,  turn- 
ing again  to  Rudolph,  "  and  will  be,  for  the  next 
half  hour.  There  is  no  one  else  to  fear  ;  in  twenty 
minutes  we'll  be  outside  of  the  Hook;  so  never  fear, 
my  good  sir,  never  fear." 

Rudolph  grasped  the  hand  of  his  companion,  and 
thanked  him  with  such  voice  as  his  choked  utterance 
would  permit. 

'•  No,  no,  never  mind."  said  Flash;  "I  know  you 
didn't  do  it,  no  matter  what  it  was — confound  the 
bailitTs,  and  all  that ;  now  we  go,  sir — isn't  that  a 
dashing  speed  ?" 

And  onward  sped  the  Terror,  rising  and  sinking  to 
the  long,  heavy  swell  which  proclaimed  the  open  sea 
to  be  close  at  hand.  Ten  minutes  elapsed,  and  the 
ocean  gate,  widening  to  their  nearer  view,  revealed 
the  white  crested  waves  beyond,  chasing  each  other 
"  like  snowy  coursers  on  the  race.'' 

*' She'll  scarcely  venture  outside  in  such  a  sea  as 
that,"  said  Flash  ;  "  courage,  my  friend  !  Ah,  if  it 
would  only  blow  great  guns  now,  there  wouldn't  be 
8 


154  Sf)^   jfixst   of    tf)e    JBinicktvboctcvs . 

a  speck  of  danger ;  I  think  it  does  come  a  little 
fresher" — feeling  the  air  with  his  hand  ;  and  thus  the 
good-natured  Lieutenant  ran  on,  attempting  to  en- 
courage his  companion,  but  delicately  abstaining  from 
any  inquiries  into  the  particular  cause  of  his  alarm. 
He  knew  enough,  however,  of  the  hostility  of  the 
Dutch  inhabitants  of  New  York  to  the  existing  gov- 
ernment, to  suspect  that  Groesbeck's  offence,  if  any, 
was  of  a  political  character,  and  if  so,  there  were 
obvious  reasons  just  at  that  moment  w^hy  the  Lieu- 
tenant should  prefer  to  remain  uninformed  of  it.  A 
brief  acquaintance  with  Rudolph  on  shore  had  con- 
vinced him  that  the  latter  could  not  be  justly  charge- 
able with  the  obloquy  of  any  personal  crime. 

"She  gains  on  us  a  little,  I  think,"  said  Rudolph, 
casting  a  hasty  glance  behind. 

"  Never  mind,"  replied  Flash  ;  "  here  we  are  in  the 
very  portals  of  the  sea — she'll  vanish  here,  like  a 
ghost  at  the  church-yard ;"  and  onward  rushed  the 
ship,  with  a  momentarily  increasing  motion — her 
speed  being  now  rendered  more  apparent  by  the 
rapidly  shifting  objects  on  the  adjacent  land.  The 
very  sound  of  the  breakers  on  the  nearest  shore  came 
distinctly  to  the  ear,  and  the  sparkling  waves  could 
be  seen  chasing  each  other  sportively  up  the  beach. 
A  few  minutes  more,  and    the  shores  were    rapidly 


HLf^e  jFftst  of   tt)C   Itntcftetljocftecs.         156 

receding,  and  a  boundless  waste  of  waters  was  open- 
ing to  the  view. 

"  Good  bye — good  bye,  my  little  friend,"  exclaimed 
Flash,  exultingly ;  *'  unless  you  see  fit  to  cross  the 
Atlantic  with  us,  in  which  case  you  had  better " 

"Mr.  Flash  !"  exclaimed  a  startling  voice  from  the 
cabin  gangway,  ^'yonder  is  a  small  boat  following  us 
and  making  signals ;  slacken  sail  a  little,  and  let  her 
come  up" 

It  was  the  voice  of  fate,  and  could  not  be  gain- 
sayed.  The  vanishing  head  of  Captain  Grim  was 
just  seen  as  he  again  disappeared  in  the  cabin,  and 
the  Lieutenant,  directing  a  deprecatory  glance  to- 
ward Rudolph,  issued  the  necessary  orders,  and  in 
a  short  time  the  boat  was  alongside.  Rudolph's 
heart  sank  within  him,  but  summoning  his  resolution, 
he  awaited  the  denouement  with  such  composure  as 
he  could  command.  He  still  indulged  the  hope  that 
his  apprehensions  had  been  needlessly  excited,  and 
that  the  errand  of  the  boat  had  no  reference  to  him- 
self. How,  indeed,  could  his  secret  have  transpired 
at  the  very  moment  of  his  departure  ?  Surely  his 
excitement  and  anxiety  had  conjured  up  a  phantom 
of  danger  where  none  in  reality  existed.  He  would 
not  yet  destroy  his  papers,  which  were  carefully  con- 
cealed within  the  lining  of  one  of  his  travelling  boxes, 
for    there   could  be  no  lack  of  opportunity  for  that 


166         S:i)e    ffivst  ot    t!)e   IS^itlcfecrbocfters. 

purpose,  if  it  became  necessary  to  accomplish  it. 
Alas  !  he  had  little  calculated  on  the  cruel  sagacity  of 
his  foes.  The  sail-boat  came  alongside,  and  a  sealed 
note  for  Captain  Grim  was  passed  into  the  ship. 
The  surprised  air  with  which  he  perused  it — his 
glance  at  Rudolph,  and  his  instantaneous  orders  for  a 
return  to  port,  left  little  room  for  hope  ;  but  when,  a 
few  minutes  subsequently,  Rudolph  attempted  to  pass 
below,  and  found  himself  interdicted,  he  at  length 
knew  the  worst. 

*'  JMr.  Groesbeck  will  excuse  me,"  said  Captain  Grim, 
"  for  requesting  him  to  remain  where  he  now  is,  until 
we  return  to  port ;  some  suspicions,  groundless  I 
hope,  are  entertained,  and  I  am  requested  to  forbid 
you  access  to  your  luggage,  until  it  can  be  searched 
by  an  officer  of  justice." 

The  request  was  of  course  a  command,  and  Ru- 
dolph, whose  native  courage  and  fortitude  now  came 
to  his  aid,  quietly  acquiesced.  He  soon  became  con- 
scious even  that  he  was  closely  watched,  to  prevent 
the  destruction  of  any  papers  which  he  might  have 
about  his  person. 

The  sad  details  of  events  immediately  ensuing, 
need  scarcely  be  related.  Let  it  suffice  to  know  that 
when,  a  few  hours  subsequently,  the  spreading  sails 
of  the  Terror  once  more  faded  to  a  cloud  within  the 
distant  Narrows,   Rudolph  Groesbeck  was  not  upon 


SrtJe  ffivut   of  tf)c  JSinic'ktxhotktvn.        157 

her  decks.  Guarded,  manacled,  the  tenant  of  a  felon^s 
cell,  he  awaited  a  speedy  trial  for  the  crime  of  High 
Treason  against  the  majesty  of  Charles  the  Second, 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Avalanche-like,  in  its  force  and  impetuosity,  had 
been  the  descent  of  this  dreadful  calamity  ;  and,  if 
anything  could  add  aggravation  to  the  blow^,  it  was  a 
contemplation  of  the  contemptible  means  by  which  it 
had  been  effected.  The  mountain  had  been  under- 
mined by  a  mouse.  The  discomfited  confederates 
needed  no  summons  to  bring  them  together  on  the 
evening  of  that  memorable  day  ;  one  by  one,  as  the 
shadows  of  twilight  deepened,  did  they  wend  their 
lonely  way  to  the  distant  Bowery,  hoping  to  gain  from 
their  leader  the  encouragement  which  their  own 
hearts  failed  to  afford.  But  all  regret  for  their  van- 
ished hopes  of  conquest  were  lost  sight  of  for  the 
present,  in  view  of  the  appalling  fate  which  impended 
over  their  young  and  chivalrous  ally.  There  was  no 
view  of  the  affair  which  presented  any  semblance  of 
hope  in  his  behalf.     He  was  in  the  hands  of  a  rigor- 


168         2C|)c   jfixst   of   tf)c  1&nickeri)oclters. 

ous  government,  bound  by  the  principle  of  self-pres- 
ervation to  suppress  every  form  of  insurrection,  and 
to  crush  each  embryo  bud  of  treason.  They  knew 
that  even  a  mild  and  moderate  government  might 
plausibly  have  punished  Rudolph's  offence  with  death, 
and  that  from  the  despotic  tribunal  of  Lovelace  no 
leniency  in  such  a  case  could  be  expected.  Some 
fears  for  their  own  safety  mingled  with  these  appre- 
hensions, and  altogether  it  was  a  gloomy  congress 
which  convened  on  that  dismal  evening  at  the  house 
of  Governor  Stuyvesant.  Yawpy  Poffenburgh  was 
not  present.  From  the  moment  of  hearing  of  the 
arrest  of  Rudolph,  he  had  kept  cautiously  within  his 
own  domains,  and  whoever  passed  his  premises  saw 
Yawpy  assiduously  at  work  in  his  garden,  seemingly 
as  innocent  of  all  state  intrigues  as  any  one  of  the 
future  cabbage-heads  which  now,  in  the  s*hape  of 
infantile  plants,  stood  in  interminable  rows  across  the 
lot. 

Governor  Stuyvesant  growled  like  a  chained  lion, 
but  he  indulged  in  no  idle  vaunts.  A  blank  despair, 
indeed,  pervaded  the  whole  council,  and  while  many 
schemes  for  relief  were  revolved,  each  was  in  turn 
abandoned  as  utterly  hopeless.  It  was  resolved,  how- 
ever, that  immediate  measures  should  be  taken  to  learn 
the  designs  of  the  government,  and  if  any  fair  trial  was 
to  be  allowed  to  the   accused,  no  pains  were  to  be 


®:i)c   jFirst    of   t])t   Hitictterijocfeers.  169 

spared  in  furnishing  him  with  skillful  counsel,  and  such 
other  aid  as  might  be  practicable.  Having  designa- 
ted a  few  of  their  number  to  obtain  the  earliest  possi- 
ble information  on  the  subject,  the  assembly  dispersed 
to  meet  again  on  the  ensuing  evening,  unless  some 
exigency  should  call  them  sooner  together. 

There  was  no  one  who  said  less,  or  endured  more 
on  this  trying  occasion,  than  Mr.  Knickerbocker. 
He  felt  as  if  all  Rudolph's  sufferings  were  in  some 
way  traceable  to  himself,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  im- 
pending tragedy  was  to  be  the  crowning  calamity  of 
his  life.  Gigantic,  colossal,  and  overshadowing  as 
the  mountain  of  his  troubles  had  before  appeared,  it 
seemed  that  this  remaining  one  was  to  cap  the  fear- 
ful climax,  and  impart  a  dreadful  symmetry  to  the 
pile.  Hope  deserted  his  breast,  and  even  Faith  stag- 
gered at  the  blow ;  for  the  heavens  seemed  of  brass 
above  him,  impenetrable  by  prayer,  and  echoing  dis- 
mally back  the  voice  of  his  supplications.  That  he 
passed  a  weary  night,  finding  sleep  without  repose, 
and  dreams  more  fatiguing  than  toil,  need  scarcely 
be  said.  On  the  ensuing  morning  he  was  early 
abroad,  seeking  to  glean  such  information  as  he  could 
find  upon  the  subject  which  now  engrossed  his  whole 
attention.  His  steps  were  naturally  directed  toward 
the  jail  in  which  Rudolph  was  confined,  which  stood 
closely  adjoining  the   fort,  and   fronting  toward  the 


160         s:f)c   iFfrst   of   tf)eltnickcvl)ocfeevs 

Hudson  river,  at  a  point  very  near  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  the  city.  Near  to  that  gloomy  tenement  he 
saw,  sauntering,  one  of  those  grim  officials  of  the 
law  who  execute  its  most  odious  and  repulsive  de- 
crees without  even  the  show  of  reluctance.  Hiding 
a  cruel  and  sanguinary  disposition  under  the  guise  of 
devotion  to  his  official  duty,  Hugh  Gore,  at  once  the 
jailer  and  executioner  of  the  city,  added,  by  the  natu- 
ral ferocity  of  his  look  and  manner,  increased  inten- 
sity to  every  punishment  which  he  infficted.  In  vain 
did  the  prisoner,  newly  arrested,  look  into  his  face  for 
some  gleam  of  encouragement  or  sympathy.  The 
very  act  of  turning  the  prison  bolts  was  performed 
with  an  emphasis  which  betokened  a  relish  of  the 
welcome  sound  ;  and  if  the  victim  was  one,  the  accu- 
sation against  whom  was  of  a  capital  nature,  he  would 
be  sure  to  be  favored  by  Hugh  with  a  cell  which 
commanded  a  full  view  of  the  permanent  gallows, 
scarcely  less  lofty  than  that  of  Haman,  which,  to  the 
disgrace  of  the  infant  city,  then  formed  one  of  its 
prominent  features. 

To  this  ogre,  the  timid  and  childlike  Evert  applied 
courteously  for  information  as  to  the  situation  of  his 
young  friend,  and  the  nature  of  the  charges  against 
him. 

**  Charges?"  said  Hugh,  sardonically — "  oh,  nothing, 
I  believe,  more  than  high  treason,  and  some  such  little 


2Ct)c   jFirst   of   t|)e   Unicfeerijocfters.  161 

matters  ;  'tisn't  anything,  you  know,  to  invite  the  king's 
enemies  into  the  country,  and  offer  to  help  them  over- 
turn the  government — that  ain't  anything,  is  it,  old 
fellow  ?" 

"When  is  he  to  be  tried?"  rejoined  Evert,  with 
difficulty  suppressing  his  emotion. 

"  There  are  older  heads  than  his  in  this  business," 
replied  Hugh,  not  heeding  the  question,  *'  if  we  can  only 
get  at  them  ;  some  fine  estates  to  be  confiscated,  too. 
You  don't  know  anything  about  it  though,  I  dare  say, 
and  then  some  folks's  estates  are  out  of  all  danger  of 
confiscation — ha  !  ha  !  ha  ! — you  can't  get  two  skins 
off  one  cat — ho  !  ho  !  ho  !" — and  an  echoing  laugh 
from  within  told  that  Hugh  was  not  talking  for  his 
own  edification  alone. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  when  Mr.  Groesbeck  is  to  be 
tried  ?"  repeated  Evert  mildly,  and  still  repressing  all 
signs  of  indignation  at  the  brutality  of  his  companion. 

"Tried,  quotha?"  returned  Hugh;  "tried?  no,  not 
exactly ;  but  there  is  a  man,"  pointing  across  the 
street,  toward  a  shop  of  miscellaneous  cabinet-ware, 
'*  there's  a  man  in  that  shop  who  can  tell  you  some- 
thing about  it,  I  reckon  ;"  and  so  saying,  Hugh  retired 
within  doors,  whence  still  the  jeering  laugh  came 
back  to  Evert's  ears. 

The  old  man  directed  his  steps  slowly  across  the 
road  to  the  place  which  had  been  designated  by  his 
8 


162  C:i)c   jFitst   ot  t1)e   3^nicfecrJ)ocfeers. 


informant,  and,  in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart,  appUed 
with  the  same  inquiry  to  a  workman  whom  he  found 
busily  engaged  within. 

"  Rudolph  Groesbeck  ?  when  is  he  to  be  tried,  do 
you  ask  ?"  said  the  carpenter,  respectfully,  pausing 
meanwhile  from  his  work,  and  leaning  on  the  end  of 
his  plane. 

"Yes,  sir,"  returned  Mr.  Knickerbocker,  glad  that 
he  seemed  like  to  meet  with  no  further  insults  ;  "  the 
jailer  told  me  he  thought  you  could  inform  me  when 
his  trial  would  take  place." 

The  man  looked  curiously  and  sympathizingly  into 
old  Evert's  anxious  face,  and  then  gave  a  quick,  fur- 
tive glance  toward  the  opposite  side  of  his  shop,  as 
he  replied  :  "  I  don't  know  exactly  when  he's  to  be 
tried — pretty  soon,  I  should  reckon — thafsfor  him  ;" 
and  Evert's  eyes,  following  the  direction  pointed  out 
by  his  companion,  fell  upon  a  newly  made  and  freshly 
stained  coffin. 

Leaning,  clinging  to  the  ^lintel  of  the  door-way, 
pale,  trembling,  gasping,  Mr.  Knickerbocker  in  vain 
essayed  for  some  moments  to  speak. 

"  For  him  ?"  he  said  at  length  ;  "  for  Rudolph 
Groesbeck?  it  is  impossible  ;  by  whose  orders  has  this 
been  done  ?" 

"  Oh,  Hugh  sees  to  all  these  things  ;  he  ordered  it. 


5ri)c   ITirst   of   tf)€   l^nicltcrfiotfeecs.         163 

I  guess  it's  all  right,  sir — he  don't  often  make  a  mis- 
take about  such  matters." 

*'  The  hard-hearted  scoundrel — the  fiend !"  ex- 
claimed the  old  man. 

"  No,  no,"  said  the  carpenter,  "  I  wouldn't  call  hard 
names — it  ain't  always  safe.  He  gives  me  a  good 
many  jobs,  Hugh  does,  but  he  is  rather  hasty,  I  think 
myself,  at  times ;  he  sometimes  measures  his  men  for 
these  things  as  soon  as  he  gets  'em  inside,  sir.  When 
you've  got  a  thing  to  do,  then  do  it,  and  don't  be 
puttin'  off  things,  that's  Hugh's  maxim." 

''But  Rudolph  has  not  been  convicted  or  even  tried 
yet — much  less  sentenced  to  death." 

"  Wai,  praps  not ;  I  don't  know  much  about  these 
things,  but  that  won't  take  long,  I  reckon.  I  hearn 
something  said  about  a  court  to  be  held  this  after- 
noon at  the  Stadt-Huys,  as  soon  as  the  races  are 
over — may  be  that's  it ;"  and  the  workman  resumed 
his  labors  with  a  rapidity  which  manifested  a  disposi- 
tion at  once  to  put  an  end  to  the  colloquy,  and  to  make 
amends  for  the  time  which  had  already  been  con- 
sumed upon  it. 

With  a  heavy  heart  and  tottering  steps  did  Evert 
return  to  his  house,  where  for  a  while  he  yielded  to 
the  most  bitter  and  hopeless  despair.  To  Jed,  who 
was  equally  appalled  at  his  friend's  danger,  and  ready 
to  do  anything  in  his  behalf,  he  at  once  imparted  the 


164  Sfje  iFlrst   of   tt)e  mnfcl^ertocftcrs. 

alarming  facts  which  he  had  learned,  and  entreated 
him  to  hasten  to  Governor  Stuyvesant  with  the  intel- 
ligence. 

"  Tell  him,"  he  said,  "  that  if  anything  can  be  done, 
it  must  be  immediately ;  to-morrow  may  be  too  late." 

Jed  hastened  to  execute  his  mission,  tarrying  only 
to  enjoin  upon  his  father  that  he  should  withhold  from 
Effie  all  knowledge  of  these  dreadful  facts,  for  she 
was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  impending  calamity. 
She  knew  nothing  even  of  Rudolph's  arrest,  and  her 
heart  continued  glad,  as  watching  the  favoring  skies 
she  anticipated  his  prosperous  voyage,  and  safe  return. 

Stuyvesant  received  Jed's  information  with  but  lit- 
tle surprise.  **  Yes,  yes,"  he  said,  "  they'll  murder  the 
poor  fellow  of  course,  and  we  have  got  to  sit  still  and 
look  tamely  on;  but  go,  and  learn  with  certainty  the 
time  and  place  of  his  trial ;  we  will  at  least  behold 
the  mockery,  and  do  all  for  him  that  we  can." 

But  the  necessity  for  haste  did  not  prove  to  be  as 
great  as  had  been  anticipated.  The  executioner's 
cruel  orders  had  been  altogether  gratuitous,  and  were 
entirely  unknown  to  Governor  Lovelace.  The  latter 
indeed  could  not  be  chargeable  with  a  sanguinary  dis- 
position, yet,  in  the  ever  rigorous  discharge  of  his 
official  trust,  clemency  was  not  to  be  looked  for  at  hig 
hands.  His  very  hostility  to  the  Dutch  inhabitants 
bad  resulted  more  from  a  knowledge  of  their  disloy- 


a:t)c    iFftst    of   t|)e   mnicfeertiocfeevs.  165 

alty  to  the  existing  powers  than  from  any  personal  ill- 
will  toward^  them.  Faithful  to  his  own  master,  he 
was  still  not  capable  of  giving  them  credit  for  fidelity 
to  the  States,  nor  mindful  of  the  steps  of  doubtful 
equity  by  which  the  latter  had  been  divorced  from 
their  long-cherished  colonies. 

The  principal  judicial  tribunal  which  existed  at  this 
time  in  the  province  was  called  the  Court  of  Assize, 
and  was  composed  of  the  governor  himself  and  two 
or  three  justices  of  the  peace.  Although  created  by 
no  legislative  enactment,  but  organized  by  Lovelace, 
in  pursuance  of  the  plenary  powers  with  which  he 
was  invested,  it  possessed  perhaps  sufficient  authority 
to  arraign  and  try  the  accused.  But  desirous  to  attach 
more  weight  to  the  affair,  and  to  imitate  in  some 
respect  the  formula  of  state  trials  in  England,  the 
governor  issued  a  special  commission  of  oyer  and  ter- 
miner for  this  purpose  to  one  Sir  Thomas  Colton  and 
two  justices  of  the  peace,  and  an  interval  of  six  days 
was  allowed  to  elapse  previous  to  the  trial.  Rudolph 
was  also  informed  that  he  would  be  allowed  the  ben- 
efit of  counsel,  and  that  if  he  had  any  witnesses  in 
his  behalf  they  should  be  heard.  There  was  some- 
thing however  in  all  this  ceremony  which  seemed 
like  a  mere  show  of  clemency,  where  the  substance 
was  wanting.  It  seemed  indeed  to  Rudolph's  despair- 
ing mind  a  sort  of  challenge   and  defiance,  as  if  he 


166  Efit   IFirst    ot    t|)e    Unicfecrbocfecrs. 

had  been  told  that  he  should  have  every  opportunity 
of  defence,  for  the  very  purpose  of  demonstrating  the 
hopeless  certainty  of  his  guilt,  and  the  justice  of  his 
coming  condemnation. 

It  would  be  painful  and  unnecessary  to  dwell  upon 
the  interval  of  suspense  which  intervened  prior  to  the 
sitting  of  the  court,  or  to  depict  the  sad  details  of  the 
trial.  Rudolph's  deportment  was  dignified  and  calm, 
but  there  was  an  expression  of  anguish  at  times  upon 
his  face,  which  spoke  of  suffering  beyond  any  that  the 
fear  of  death  had  power  to  inflict.  His  own  suddenly 
blasted  hopes,  the  pain  and  degradation  of  an  ignomin- 
ious execution,  were  scarcely  present  to  his  mind  ;  but 
who  shall  tell  the  agony  of  his  soul  as  he  contemplated 
the  impending  misery  of  her,  who,  still  unconscious  of 
his  danger,  was  yet  to  meet  the  full  shock  of  so  over- 
whelming a  grief?  Every  eflx>rt  was  made  in  his  be- 
half, but  all  was  in  vain.  The  proof  admitted  of  no 
denial.  The  papers  which  had  been  found  in  his  pos- 
session told  the  whole  story  of  his  culpability ;  and 
the  fact  of  their  careful  concealment  among  his  lug- 
gage gave  confirmation  to  the  proof  The  eloquent 
petition,  the  accurate  plan  of  the  harbor  and  channel, 
the  private  letters  of  Mr.  Knickerbocker,  which,  al- 
though containing  no  allusion  to  political  subjects, 
showed  the  intended  destination  of  their  bearer,  were 
all  produced  and  commented  on,  carrying  conviction 


a:t)e   jTirst   of   t1)c   2Etni  cfeertiocfecrs.         167 

to  the  minds  of  the  hearers.  Rudolph  in  short  was 
found  guilty,  and  when  asked,  with  the  usual  formula 
of  the  law,  \vhether  he  had  anything  to  say  why  sen- 
tence should  not  be  pronounced  against  him,  he 
remained  silent.  Not  even  when  demanded  a  second 
time  did  he  essay  to  reply,  until,  answering  rather  the 
appealing  looks  of  his  friends  than  the  voice  of  the 
judge,  he  briefly  addressed  the  court.  "If aught," 
he  said — "  if  aught  that  I  can  allege  could  serve  to 
avert  or  palliate  a  doom  which  I  dread  less  for  myself 
than  others,  I  might  indeed  say  something  against  my 
impending  sentence.  I  might  speak  of  political 
wrongs  sought  to  be  righted  ;  of  duty  which  is  counted 
crime,  and  patriotism  stigmatized  as  treason  ;  but  I 
could  neither  deny  my  acts,  nor  repudiate  the  princi- 
ples which  prompted  them.  I  know  that  I  must  die— 
ignominiously — on  the  scaffold" — his  voice  faltered 
as  he  spoke — "but  I  die  a  martyr,  and  not  a  criminal." 
He  sat  down,  and  a  shudder  ran  through  the  audi- 
ence, as  the  presiding  judge,  with  the  judicial  ceremony 
of  the  age,  assumed  the  black  cap  which  betokened 
the  sentence  of  death.  With  dignified  composure, 
yet  not  without  feeling,  was  his  official  duty  dis- 
charged. He  spoke  of  the  imperative  obligation  incum- 
bent upon  ministers  of  justice  to  punish  those  crimes 
which  aimed  at  the  subversion  of  government,  and 
remarked  upon  the  peculiar  situation  of  the  province 


168         E\)t  JFUst   of    t1)e  Mnicktvhocktvs. 

endangered  by  enemies  from  abroad,  and  by  disaffec- 
tion at  home,  as  a  reason  for  the  most  rigid  enforce- 
ment of  the  law.  He  then  proceeded  to  sentence  the 
prisoner,  fixing  the  second  ensuing  day  for  his  execu- 
tion, and  warning  him  not  to  indulge  the  faintest 
hope  of  pardon  or  reprieve.  The  court  then  adjourn- 
ed, and  Rudolph,  in  the  clutch  of  the  gratified  Hugh, 
was  remanded  to  his  cell.  What  bitter  tears  were 
shed,  what  noble  hearts  were  wrung,  how  voiceless 
with  grief  his  faithful  friends  crowded  around  him, 
seeking  vainly  to  give  some  word  of  cheer,  need  not 
be  related.  Petition  and  remonstrance  were  all  in 
vain :  the  governor  remained  inexorable,  and  even 
hinted  at  further  prosecutions  if  the  least  additional 
provocation  were  given. 

If  there  was  one  of  Rudolph's  friends  who  now 
suffered  more  than  the  rest,  it  was  Jed  ;  on  whom 
plainly  devolved  a  task  scarcely  less  dreadful  than 
that  of  suffering  side  by  side  with  his  friend  ;  for 
from  his  lips  must  Effie  receive  the  appalling  tidings 
which  should  prepare  her  once  more  to  meet  Rudolph, 
and  then  to  part  with  him  forever. 


tE\)c   JF(rst    of   tl)c   Bnfcfeerijocltevs.  169 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

The  city  jail,  as  has  been  described,  stood  near  the 
fort,  and  fronting  toward  the  Hudson,  at  a  point  near 
the  confluence  of  that  stream  with  the  East  river. 
A  little  to  the  north,  on  the  same  street,  was  the  gov- 
ernor's house,  a  large  but  in  no  way  ostentatious 
building,  and  immediately  adjacent,  but  fronting  in 
another  direction,  was  the  old  Dutch  Church.  A  nar- 
row court-yard  intervened  between  the  jail  and  the 
street,  and  a  long  stoop,  the  invariable  accompaniment 
of  Dutch  buildings,  extended  the  whole  width  of  the 
house.  Upon  this  stoop,  on  the  evening  which  suc- 
ceeded to  that  melancholy  day,  the  events  of  which 
have  just  been  related,  sat  Hugh  Gore,  wrapt  in  no 
unpleasing  contemplations.  The  sun  had  gone  down; 
the  lingering  twilight  was  growing  gradually  less ; 
and  the  light  sea-breeze,  setting  landward,  was  lifting 
the  shaggy  locks  of  the  jailer,  as  gently  as  if  they 
had  been  the  curls  of  cradled  innocence.  Musing 
deeply  and  alone,  and  w^atching  with  complacent 
countenance  the  thin  wreaths  which  curled  slowly 
upwards  from  his  pipe,  he  was  aroused  from  his  rev- 


170  E\)t   jFivst    of   t!)c   B^nicfteviocfeers. 

erie  by  the  heavy  tread  of  some  one  passing  in  the 
street.  On  looking  up,  he  saw  a  man  clad  in  a  thin 
spencer  and  wide-legged  trowsei's,  and  wearing  the 
glazed  tarpaulin  which  then  as  now  was  a  distinctive 
badge  of  the  fraternity  of  sailors.  He  had  passed 
Hugh  apparently  without  noticing  him,  but,  turning 
suddenly  back,  and  exhibiting  by  the  movement  the 
neck  of  a  glass  bottle  protruding  from  his  outer  pocket, 
he  touched  his  hat  civilly  and  inquired  the  way  to  a 
well-known  dram-shop  in  the  neighborhood. 

"  Huyck's  ?"  said  Hugh,  good-naturedly  ;  "  why,  you 
must  be  a  stranger  here  if  you  don't  know  where 
Huyck's  is,  and  you  a  sailor,  too  !" 

"  I  am,"  replied  the  other,  again  touching  his  hat, 
*'  and  have  just  come  from  Boston  in  the  Dolly — yon- 
der she  lies,  with  the  blue  bunting.  Will  your  honor 
please  to  tell  me " 

"  Oh  yes,"  said  Hugh,  giving  the  desired  direction — 
"  but  don't  go  and  spend  all  your  money  like  a  fool." 

The  sailor  smiled,  and  thanking  his  informant 
passed  on,  and  Gore,  wrapt  in  his  peculiar  reflections, 
had  quite  forgotten  the  incident  when,  some  ten  min- 
utes afterwards,  it  was  recalled  to  his  mind  by  a 
return  of  the  stranger.  He  seemed  now  slightly 
affected  by  the  atmosphere  of  Mynheer  Huyck's  tap- 
room, and  disposed  to  be  social  and  communicative  ; 
and,  after  bandying  merry  phrases  with  Hugh  for  a 


2ri)c   ffiVBt   of  t!)e   B.nfcftcri)ocfter».  171 

few  minutes,  he  produced  his  bottle  and  invited  his 
companion  to  drink.  The  jailer  sniffed  daintily  at  the 
cork,  prepared  to  utter  a  sneer  at  the  vile  whiskey, 
or  at  some  compound  still  viler,  though  bearing  a 
more  ambitious  name,  when  he  became  conscious  that 
his  olfactories  were  regaled  with  the  fumes  of  a  liquor, 
rare  and  costly  at  that  period  in  the  province,  and 
highly  prized  by  the  epicurean  race. 

"  The  de'il,"  he  exclaimed,  applying  his  huge  nose 
again  and  again  to  the  mouth  of  the  bottle  ;  "  is  it 
possible  that  Huyck  sells  genuine  Jamaica,  and  that 
sailors  buy  it?  Walk  up,  Mr.  Jack  Tar,  walk  up, 
and  take  a  seat,  while  I  get  some  cups,  and  we'll  have 
a  taste  of  its  quality." 

The  sailor  needed  no  second  bidding,  and  taking  a 
seat  on  the  stoop,  awaited  the  return  of  the  other 
from  within,  who  soon  made  his  appearance  with  some 
drinking  utensils,  and  then  led  the  way  to  a  part  of 
the  piazza  less  exposed  to  view  from  the  street,  for  he 
was  in  no  way  desirous  of  attracting  any  additional 
guests  to  so  rare  a  banquet.  Smacking  his  lips  over 
his  cup,  he  needed  but  little  urging  to  renew  again  and 
again  the  delicious  potation.  The  sailor  was  ex- 
ceedingly merry,  and  had  many  a  jovial  tale  to  tell, 
which,  whatever  their  real  merits,  grew  more  and 
more  amusing  to  his  auditor  ;  who  finally  swore,  upon 
the  winding  up  of  a  long  story  about  crossing  the  line, 


172         2Et)e   ffivst   of  t\)t  lS-nicfeeri)ocfecrs. 

and  being  shaved  by  father  Neptune  with  an  iron 
hoop,  that  his  particular  friend  Mr.  Jack  Tar  was  the 
very  pink  of  sailors,  and  he  really  hoped,  upon  his 
soul  and  body,  that  he  never  should  be  called  upon  to 
do  any  little  unpleasant  jobs  in  the  way  of  stringing 
up  or  cutting  down  so  choice  a  fellow\ 

"  Stringing  up  and  cutting  down,"  repeated  the 
sailor,  who  despite  his  seemingly  large  draughts  pre- 
served a  tolerable  appearance  of  sobriety — "  what  do 
you  mean  by  that,  Mr.  Gore  ?" 

"I  mean,"  replied  Hugh,  with  an  involuntary 
twinkle  of  his  eye, ''  that  I  am  grand  Bashaw  here, 
with  nine  tails— there  they  hang,  up  there,"  pointing 
to  a  huge  instrument  of  flagellation,  reposing  above 
their  heads — "  and  also,  that  I  tend  that  guide-post  to 
the  Future  State  out  there,"  pointing  to  the  gallows, 
which  in  the  gloom  of  the  evening  loomed  up  to  an 
unusual  altitude  before  them. 

Hugh  did  not  notice  the  shudder  which  shook  for 
a  moment  the  frame  of  his  companion,  any  more  than 
he  had  noticed  the  dozen  discarded  draughts  which 
the  other  had  slyly  spilled  into  the  garden,  over  the 
railing  against  which  his  chair  was  leaning. 

"  Oh,  ho,  you  are  the  executioner  then  ?"  returned 
the  sailor  ;    "  probably  you  run  up  that  Growsbeck 
then,  that  was  hung  the  other  day,  for  treason." 
•'  No,  sir,"  replied  Gore,  with  a  chuckle  :— "  he  hain't 


Hlfic  JFfJ^st  of  ti)c   IS^nicttcrbocfeers .         173 

been  hung  yet,  Mr.  Groesbeck  hain't ;  I  expect  the 
melancholy  pleasure  of  turning  him  off  the  day  after 
to-morrow,  at  nine  o'clock,  and  shall  be  very  happy 
of  your  presence  on  that  occasion — a  large  company 
expected — front  seats  reserved  for  the  ladies ;"  and 
Hugh  laughed  at  his  hideous  joke. 

"He's  a  desperate  hard  case,  I  suppose;  I  should 
like  wonderfully  to  see  him — you  don't  know  where 
they  keep  him,  I  suppose  ?" 

"  Don't  know  ?"  returned  Hugh  ;  "  maybe  I  don't — if 
I  don't  know,  who  does  ? — that's  it.  See  here,  my  salt- 
water friend,  do  you  see  them  winders  there,  with 
fancy  lattice-work  across  them  ?  well,  that's  the  jail, 
and  in  there's  the  onfortinet  man ;  and  in  here," 
striking  his  gingling  pocket  with  his  hand — '*  in  here 
are  the  keys  that  keep  him  there." 

Mr.  Gore's  guest  expressed  no  little  surprise  at 
these  pieces  of  information,  and  reiterating  his  desire 
to  see  so  awful  a  criminal,  Hugh  at  length  volunteered 
to  gratify  his  wishes  and  conduct  him  within.  The 
jailer's  step  as  he  rose  for  this  purpose  was  by  no 
means  steady,  and  Jed — for  he,  as  may  have  been  con- 
jectured,was  the  assumed  sailor — seemed  to  be  equally 
under  the  effects  of  the  bottle. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  for  the  inebriated  man  to  ap- 
ply his  ponderous  key,  and  open  the  prison  door,  but 
after  much  fumbling  and  muttering,  that  difficult  feat 


1*74  5rt)e   jFtfst    ot    tjc   Unicfecrliocfeers. 


was  accomplished,  and,  the  door  being  left  slightly 
ajar,  the  companions  passed  in.  There  was  a  princi- 
pal central  room,  which  was  usually  occupied  by 
offenders  of  the  lesser  grades,  and  off  this  apartment 
were  several  cells  designed  for  such  malefactors  as 
needed  especial  guarding.  But  as  Gore  had  at  this 
time  no  other  persons  under  his  charge,  and  Rudolph's 
appearance  had  excited  no  apprehensions  of  any  very 
desperate  attempt  at  escape,  he  had  allowed  the  pris- 
oner the  benefit  of  the  larger  room  ;  not  however 
without  the  precaution  of  chaining  him  by  one  foot  to 
a  ring  in  the  floor.  This  chain  was  secured  by  a 
padlock,  the  key  to  which  Hugh  also  carried  in  his 
pocket. 

"There  he  is — there  he  is,"  exclaimed  Gore, 
speaking  thickly,  for  the  liquor  was  taking  effect  more 
fully  upon  his  brain ;  "  look  at  him  quick,  Mr.  Tar, 
and  then  let's  go  back,  for  there'll  be  some  one  else 
here  to  see  him  soon,  I  dare  say,  but  nobody's  to  come 
in  to-night  without  the  governor's  orders,  except 
Dominie  Megapolensis." 

So  saying,  the  jailer  took  a  seat  near  the  door, 
while  Jed  approached  his  friend,  who  was  sitting  on 
a  rude  wooden  chair,  with  his  face  turned  to  the  wall, 
and  with  his  head  resting  upon  his  hands.  There  was 
a  dim  light  in  the  room,  left  rather  by  the  stinted 
grace  of  the  keeper  than  as  a  matter  of  right. 


8Et)C   ffiivst   of   t^e   25.nicfe  erfiocftecs.  175 

"  See  what  luxuries  he  has,"  muttered  Hugh,  with 
his  chin  dropping  upon  his  breast — "lights  and  a  seat, 
and  a  large  room  all  to  himself — 'tisn't  everybody  gets 
such  treatment,  and  he  wouldn't,  you  know,  only  his 
time  is  short." 

The  prisoner  had  turned  partly  around  upon  the 
entrance  of  the  visitors,  but  after  a  momentary  glance 
at  them  quietly  resumed  his  former  position.  Jed 
approached  him  slowly,  talking  meanwhile  to  the 
keeper  in  his  assumed  manner,  but  as  he  came  nearer 
he  contrived,  parenthetically,  to  pronounce  Rudolph's 
name  in  his  natural  voice,  and  in  n  low  tone.  A  quick 
nervous  motion  of  the  prisoner  ensued ;  he  raised 
his  head  slightly,  and  was  about  to  speak,  when  his 
friend's  fingers  rested  upon  his  lips,  and  he  remained 
silent.     But  from  that  moment  every  faculty  was  alive. 

"  You've  got  him  chained,  eh  ?"  said  Jed  ;  "  that's 
right — I  see  you  know  how  to  make  sure  of  such 
fellows;  bolts,  bars  and  chains — you  understand  it, 
don't  you,  Mr.  Gore  ?" 

"Of  course  I  do,"  growled  Hugh. 

"And  yet  you  are  merciful  too,  considering,"  said 
Jed. 

"  Certainly,"  said  Gore — '*  see  that  chair,  and 
candle — and — and — cup  of  water." 

"  Yes,  certainly  ;  but  now  it's  my  opinion,  Mr.  Jail- 
er,  that  that  chain  is  a  little  too  tight,  and    that  it 


176         d)c   iFifst    of    tl)e    l^nicfecrbocfeet  s. 


hurts  the  poor  fellow's  ankle  :  you  don't  want  to  keep 
him  in  pain,  I  know  ;  I'd  jest  shift  it  to  t'other  leg, 
and  make  it  a  trifle  looser." 

There  is  said  to  be  no  safer  or  more  acceptable  flat- 
tery than  that  which  gives  an  individual  credit  for  the 
quality  which  of  all  others  he  most  lacks,  and  it  must 
have  been  on  this  principle  that  Jed  had  attributed 
the  heavenly  virtue  of  Mercy  to  his  brutal  companion. 
Evidently  flattered  by  the  remark,  the  now  stolid 
keeper  came  forward  and  inquired  of  Rudolph  if  the 
fetters  were  painful. 

"  He  says  that  they  hurt  him,"  replied  Jed,  hastening 
to  speak  for  the  other,  "  and  any  one  can  see  that  it 
is  so  ;  it  will  be  but  a  moment's  work  to  shift  the 
chain  to  the  other  leg." 

"Oh  yes,"  said  Hugh,  "I  can  do  it  in  a  twinkling, 
but  let  me  jes  lock  the  door  first,  because  a  man  in 
his  case  gets  dreadful  desperate  sometimes,  and  he 
might  make  a  rush,  and  get  away  from  us,  you  know." 

"  Oh,  I'll  see  to  that,"  exclaimed  Jed  ;  and  skipping 
past  the  jailer  he  transferred  the  key  from  the  outer 
to  the  inner  side,  and,  shutting  the  door,  locked  it,  but 
without  removing  the  key. 

Satisfied  that  all  was  now  safe,  and  that  his  prisoner, 
however  daring,  could  do  nothing  against  the  com- 
bined efforts  of  himself  and  the  sailor,  Gore  stooped 
and  unlocked  the  chain — removed  it  from  one  leg  of 


2ri)c   JFi'fst  of   ttje   BnictteciJocfecrs.  Ill 

Rudolph,  and  was  about  transferring  it  to  the  other, 
when  he  found  himself  suddenly  lying  upon  his  back, 
with  Jed  astride  of  his  body,  and  a  strong  hand  at  his 
throat. 

'*If  you  speak  you  will  die,"  said  Jed,  firmly — **  if 
you  are  quiet  you  shall  not  be  harmed — do  you  under- 
stand ?" 

Purple  with  fright  and  suffocation,  Hugh  winked  in 
reply,  for,  pinioned  and  throttled  as  he  was,  it  was  the 
only  gesture  he  could  make ;  and  Jed,  who  had  not 
come  unprepared  for  his  work,  produced  some  stout 
cords  and  a  gag,  with  which,  in  a  few  moments,  the 
helpless  jailer  was  secured  beyond  the  power  of 
speech  or  motion.  The  chain  was  next  applied  to 
his  huge  leg  and  securely  locked,  and  the  young  men, 
trembling  with  intense  excitement,  were  hastening 
toward  the  door,  when  a  loud  knock  without  fell  like 
the  knell  of  hope  upon  their  ears. 

"  My  dear,"  screamed  a  shrill,  angry,  catamount- 
like voice  through  the  key-hole,  "are  you  inside 
there,  I  want  to  know?  for  here  is  Dominie  Mega- 
polensis  waiting  to  see  the  poor  young  man  that  is  to 
be  hung.     My  de-e-e-e-r  !" 

A  growling,  inarticulate   noise,   issuing   from  the 
widely  distended  jaws  of  the  jailer,  manifested   his 
attempt  to  reply  to  this  invocation,  and  Jed,  darting 
9 


lis  2r!)e  ffivBt    of   tl)e  SS-nicUerftocfeers. 

to  his  side  with  menacing  gestures,  crowded  an  ample 
handkerchief  into  his  gulf-hke  mouth. 

*'  He  must  be  in  there,"  continued  the  woman,  ap- 
parently addressing  some  one  at  her  side,  after  wait- 
ing in  vain  some  moments  for  an  answer  ;  "  he  must 
be  there,  for  the  key  is  in  the  door  inside ;  the  lazy 
fellow  has  dropped  asleep ;"  and  this  remark  was 
followed  by  another  screaming  call,  and  a  rattling  of 
the  door  that  might  have  awakened  the  seven  sleepers 
of  Ephesus. 

In  an  agony  of  suspense,  breathless  and  motionless 
stood  Jed  and  Rudolph,  yet  to  the  former  returned 
at  length  a  portion  of  the  coolness  and  equanim- 
ity which  had  marked  all  his  proceedings.  Drawing 
his  friend  aside,  he  .said,  "Our  only  hope  is  in  instant 
flight,  for  in  three  minutes  this  harridan  will  raise  a 
mob.  Keep  perfectly  still,  and  be  guided  by  me,  and 
if  you  get  off,  and  we  should  be  separated,  remember 
that  my  hunter  stands  saddled  just  outside  the  wall,  in 
the  woods,  about  ten  rods  west  of  the  centre  gate — 
take  this  tarpaulin  and  spencer — do  as  I  do,  and  be 
sure  not  to  speak." 

So  saying,  Jed  doffed  his  jacket,  exhibiting  another 
exactly  similar  beneath  it,  and  drew  from  his  pocket  a 
crushed  cap  like  the  one  which  he  wore.  "  We  are 
sailors,"  he  continued,  ''  belonging  to  the  Dolly,  of  and 
from  Boston.    Come  on.  and  keep  calm,  and,  above  all 


B^t  jFirst   of  tjje  mnicfeerfio  ckers 


179 


things,  don't  attempt  to  run,  for  the  moonhght  is  like 
noonday  without,  and  we  shall  be  distinctly  seen." 

Resolving  to  be  guided  by  one  who  had  thus  far 
shown  so  much  sagacity  and  prudence,  Rudolph  fol- 
lowed his  friend  in  silence  to  the  door,  which  was  still 
rattling  in  the  vigorous  grasp  of  Mrs.  Gore.  Obeying 
the  gestures  of  Jed,  he  planted  himself  in  a  dark 
corner  adjacent,  while  the  former  proceeded  to  turn 
the  key,  and  confront  the  incensed  matron,  whose 
voice  was  still  heard  without,  mingling  with  the  clat- 
ter of  the  shaken  bars. 

"  Avast  there,  avast,"  he  said,  "  can't  you  wait  till 
the  hatches  are  open,  Mrs.  Gore  ?  There— come  in 
now,  if  you  want  to— it  isn't  everybody  that  is  so 
anxious  to  get  in  a  place  like  this." 

"  What  tom-foolery  is  all  this,  I  should  like  to 
know  ?"  said  the  vixen,  bursting  into  the  room,  and 
followed  more  leisurely  by  the  venerable  and  quiet 
clergyman  ;  "  what  tom-foolery  is  this — and  who  are 
you— and  where  is  that  idiot  of  a  Hugh  Gore  ?" 

"Your  worthy  husband  sits  yonder,  madam,"  said 
Jed,  "  a  little  unwell,  I  believe,"  and  the  woman  darted 
to  her  partner's  side,  while  Jed,  followed  by  Rudolph, 
stepped  quickly  out — and  the  clash  of  the  closing 
door,  and  the  sound  of  the  turning  lock,  mingled  with 
the  shrill  feminine  scream  that  arose  from  within. 


180         EDe    ifirst   of    ti)c   ISinickevbockevs 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Loud  and  louder  rose  the  clamor  from  the  jail,  as, 
arm  in  arm,  Jed  and  Rudolph  descended  the  outer 
steps,  and  walked  into  the  street ;  and  ere  they  had 
gained  the  nearest  corner,  the  stentorian  voice  of 
Hugh,  rising  like  a  thunder-tone  above  the  shrill 
treble  of  his  wife,  told  that  all  impediment  to  his 
speech  had  been  removed.  "  Help — help — stop  the 
murderers— fire— help,"  rang  in  every  variety  of  tone 
and  accent  through  the  prison  bars,  until  distant  pe- 
destrians paused  to  listen,  and  those  more  near 
hastened  with  a  rush  to  the  scene  of  the  outcry. 

*'  The  whole  street  is  alarmed,"  whispered  Jed  ; 
"  we  must  not  run  yet ;"  and  then  raising  his  voice, 
for  numbers  were  passing  them  every  instant,  "  The 
Dolly  was  nearly  on  her  beam-ends,"  he  said,  "  for  it 
blew  great  guns,  and  the  breakers  wasn't  more'n  a 
cable's  length  off,  when  the  captain  came  to  me,  and 
says,  says  he.  Jack,  says  he " 

"•Stop  the  murderers— stop  the  murderers  !"  came 
echoing  down  the  street,  and  the  clatter  of  coming 
feet  was  heard,  and  the  bell  of  the  old  Dutch  Church 


®:i)e   jfivBt   of  tf)c  J^nickeviioc^tvs.         181 

sent  forth  a  rapid  peal ;  but  Jed  and  Rudolph  still 
walked  moderately  forward. 

*' We  must  walk  for  a  moment  more,"  continued  Jed, 
in  a  whisper, — "  the  corner  is  close  at  hand — it  would 
be  fatal  to  run  here,"  for  the  people  were  still  hasten- 
ing past  them  toward  the  jail,  and  eyeing  curiously  the 
two  sailors,  who,  seeming  so  indifferent  to  the  general 
commotion,  were  sauntering  in  an  opposite  direction. 

*'  The  truth  is,  the  Dolly  is  a  fine  craft,"  he  added, 
in  a  louder  tone,  and  Rudolph,  looking  up,  saw  Sinclair 
almost  at  his  elbow,  passing  with  the  crowd  ;  "  a  little 
too  square-built,  mayhap,  and  rather " 

The  terrific  voice  of  Hugh,  sounding  at  this  instant 
in  their  ears,  told  that  the  lion  was  unchained,  and  on 
their  very  path. 

"  Let  some  go  up  Dock  street,"  he  shouted,  '*  and 
some  up  Broad — go  some  to  the  river  and  guard  the 
boats,  and  others  to  the  gates — quick,  quick — we'll 
have  them,  my  boys — they  haven't  got  five  minutes  the 
start — stop  the  murderers — stop  the  murderers  !"  and 
the  heavy  footfall  of  Hugh  echoed  far  and  wide,  as 
with  a  long  Indian-like  lope,  he  went  bounding 
through  the  street. 

His  voice  fellupon  the  ears  of  the  fugitives  just  as 
they  had  reached  the  corner  of  a  road  leading  to  the 
North  river,  and  Jed,  whispering  "  Follow  7ww"  dashed 
past  his  companion  and  led  the  race.    Like  the  hunted 


182         2rf)C   ffivst   of   t!)c   B-nicfeeviiociter* 

herd  they  ran,  but  the  pack,  pursuing,  open-mouthed 
and  yelping,  was  on  their  track.  Not  that  the  popu- 
lace joined  generally  in  the  chase,  for  the  sympathies 
of  the  majority  were  doubtless  with  Rudolph,  and 
some  even  tried  to  impede  and  misdirect  the  pursuers  ; 
but  there  was  enough  ^of  the  small  retainers  and  offi- 
cials of  government,  together  with  that  class  who  are 
ever  anxious  to  curry  favor  with  those  in  power,  to 
swell  the  tide  of  pursuit  to  no  inconsiderable  throng. 
The  fugitives  kept  the  riverward  road  until  they  came* 
to  an  open  field,  or  common,  which  stretched  to  the 
north,  and  across  this,  without  any  abatement  of 
speed,  they  directed  their  course,  keeping  closely 
together.  On  emerging  from  the  common  they  were 
compelled  to  cross  a  public  road,  beyond  which  lay 
another  vacant  field,  reaching  to  the  wall,  which  ex- 
tended across  the  city  from  river  to  river,  and  formed 
its  northern  boundary.  Apprehensive  of  being  in- 
tercepted at  this  road,  Jed  and  Rudolph  took  a  circuit 
westward  and  crossed  to  the  northern  lot  in  safety, 
obtaining  a  view  up  the  street  as  they  passed,  which 
convinced  them  that  the  precaution  had  not  been 
superfluous.  Three  minutes  more,  and,  panting  with 
fatigue,  they  stood  beside  the  wall,  a  dozen  rods  west 
of  the  gate,  which,  after  pausing  a  moment  for  breath, 
they  scaled  with  little  difficulty,  and  caught  sight  of 
their  pursuers  not  fifty  yards  behind.     A  shout  of  ex- 


2rf)c  jFirst  of   tlje   l^nicfeerliocfeers . 


1S3 


ultation  from  Hugh  told  that  they  in  turn  were  per- 
ceived, and  that  their  capture  was  regarded  as  cer- 
tain. Jed  paused  for  a  moment,  and  a  sickening  fear 
came  upon  him  as  he  looked  vainly  for  his  steed,  but 
at  the  next  breath  a  welcoming  whinny  from  an  ad- 
joining copse  told  him  not  only  that  his  hunter  was  there, 
but  that  the  faithful  animal  had  recognized  his  mas- 
ter. Rushing  to  the  spot,  he  disengaged  him  from 
a  sapling  to  which  he  was  fastened,  and  bade  Rudolph 
mount  and  fly. 

"  Never,  without  you,  Jed,"  exclaimed  Groesbeck,  in 
a  tone  that  forbade  remonstrance  ;  "  I  will  not  leave 
you  in  danger." 

"  With  me,  then,"  returned  the  other,  springing  to 
the  ample  saddle  as  he  spoke—"  there  is  no  time  to 
parley;  Ceph  has  carried  a  dead  deer  besides  me, 
and  I  guess  he  can  carry  a  living  man." 

Rudolph  also  mounted,  and  at  the  same  instant  a 
shout  from  the  edge  of  the  grove  told  that  they  were 
again  perceived  ;  but,  answering  to  his  master's  voice, 
the  faithful  steed  darted  forward,  and  set  all  pursuit  at 
defiance.  Oaths  and  angry  ejaculations  attested  the 
bitter  disappointment  of  the  jailer  and  his  friends  as 
they  stood  a  moment  later  upon  the  deserted  spot. 

"  It  was  a  devilish  deep-laid  plot,  whoever  the  fiend 
was  that  planned  it,"  exclaimed  Hugh,  as  he  gazed 
after  the  flvin^  steed ;  "  but  we  must  get  horses  and 


184         E!)e   jfivnt  of   t])e2lnickev6ocfervs. 


follow — they're  not  off  the  island  yet  by  a  long  shot." 
So  saying,  he  was  about  to  return  to  the  city,  when  a 
shout  and  commotion  at  a  little  distance  arrested  his 
attention. 

"  Here's  one  of  em  now — here's  one  of 'em,"  was  the 
cry,  as  a  dozen  men  darted  into  a  thicket  in  chase  of 
a  retreating  figure,  and  soon  after  emerged  with  the 
trembling  tabernacle  of  poor  old  Jake,  who  had  been 
keeping  guard  over  the  hunter,  and  had  indiscreetly 
attempted  to  return  before  the  rabble  had  dispersed. 
As  his  captors  dragged  the  terrified  slave  from  the 
cover  of  the  woods  into  the  moonlight,  Hugh  leaped 
with  a  shout  of  exultation  toward  him,  but  dreadful 
was  his  chagrin  and  wrath  on  perceiving  the  charac- 
ter of  his  prize. 

"Who  in  the  fiend's  name  are  you?"  he  said,  shak- 
ing the  poor  negro  until  his  teeth  rattled  like  a  castanet. 
Trembling  from  head  to  foot,  and  utterly  incapable  of 
speech,  Jake  listened  in  silence  to  this  adjuration,  for 
being  utterly  unconscious  of  the  object  for  which  his 
services  had  been  required  by  Jed,  and  unable  in  the 
confused  state  of  his  faculties  to  form  a  correct  idea 
of  any  kind,  he  never  doubted  that  he  had  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  some  outlying  band  of  savages,  who 
were  about  to  roast  and  eat  him  without  ado. 

*'  Who  are  you  ?"  repeated  Hugh,  in  a  towering 
rage,  and  again  shaking  his  victim. 


E\)t   JFivst   of   tije   B-ni  cfecrbocftersf.  186 

"  Oh,  gor-a-massy,"  said  the  negro,  holding  on  to 
his  wool  in  momentary  expectation  of  the  scalping 
knife — "  oh,  gor-a-massy,  I  don't  know — I  don't  know." 

A  dozen  hard  cuffs  on  either  side  of  his  head  did 
not  appear  in  the  least  to  enlighten  the  bewildered 
slave  in  regard  to  his  identity,  although  they  were 
doubtless  bestowed  with  that  amiable  design  ;  for  he 
still  persisted  in  saying,  not  without  truth,  that  he  did 
not  know  who  he  was.  The  jailer  was  not  aware  of 
the  invulnerability  of  the  African  cranium,  or  of  the 
very  different  locality  to  which  flagellation  should  be 
applied  on  a  negro  in  order  to  render  it  effectual. 
But  poor  Jake  would  have  taken  his  beating  more 
patiently  if  he  had  known  how  more  precious  than 
rubies,  to  his  master  and  Rudolph,  was  every  second 
of  time  which  was  thus  employed.  This  thought 
occurred  at  length  to  Hugh,  who,  handing  over 
the  slave  to  some  of  his  assistants  to  be  preserved  for 
future  examination,  hastened  back  to  find  means  of 
prosecuting  the  chase. 

Doleful  beyond  the  power  of  language  to  depict, 
was  the  little  assembly  which  had  convened  on  that 
memorable  evening  at  the  Bowery.  But  few  compar- 
atively of  the  confederates  who,  scarcely  ten  days 
before,  had  so  joyously  separated,  sanguine  with  hope 
and  expectation,  were  now  assembled  ;  for  the  con- 
sciousness of  their  utter  inability  to  render  any  effect- 
9* 


186         SClie   ffivst  of   t!)c   mnic  fteri)Oc&ers. 

ual  assistance  to  Rudolph  had  deterred  many  from 
incurring  personal  hazard,  who  otherwise  would  have 
been  willing  to  risk  much  in  his  behalf.  Confiscation 
and  death  were  quite  too  formidable  evils  to  be  unne- 
cessarily courted,  and  although  ever  ready  to  respond 
to  the  call  of  patriotism  or  duty,  their  courage  was 
not  of  that  species  which  indulges  in  idle  or  boyish 
bravado.  Dear  to  each  of  them  as  Rudolph  had  be- 
come, their  own  lives  and  the  interests  of  their  fami- 
lies were  of  course  not  less  so  ;  but  while  they  avoided 
unnecessary  exposure,  they  gave  their  leader  to  un- 
derstand that  they  were  accessible  for  any  purpose 
that  should  appear  useful  and  practicable.  Some  had 
talked  of  forcible  rescue  at  the  gallows,  but  the  pro- 
ject was  so  evidently  impossible,  and  so  fraught  with 
ruin  to  any  who  should  engage  in  it,  that  nothing  short 
of  madness  could  have  induced  the  attempt.  Other 
plans  equally  hopeless  were  undergoing  a  dismal  de- 
bate on  the  evening  last  named,  but  although  often 
indirectl}^  appealed  to,  an  ominous  silence  sealed  the 
lips  of  Stuyvesant.  It  was  in  vain  that  the  speakers 
looked  to  him  either  for  approval  of  their  schemes,  or 
for  the  suggestion  of  his  own.  His  looks  spoke  only  of 
grief,  bitter,  intense  and  hopeless.  His  thoughts  evi- 
dently extended  back  to  other  and  more  important 
wrongs,  but  they  reached  forward,  too,  to  the  antici- 
pated period  of  retribution  and  redress. 


E\)c   .Ifiist    of   tijc    l^niciatvhocttVH.         187* 

"  If  fighting  could  do  any  good,"  said  Major  Ver 
Planck,  a  broad-shouldered  and  muscular  man,  who 
had  seen  service  in  New  Sweden — ''if  the  governor 
thinks  that  fighting  can  do  any  good,  I  am  ready 
with  my  sons  and  my  slaves.  The  negroes  are  not 
the  best  of  soldiers  perhaps,  but  they  will  make  as 
good  targets  for  the  cartridges  of  the-  English  troops 
as  the  best  of  us." 

•'  It  is  folly  to  talk  of  force,"  replied  Mynheer  Van 
Schaick,  who  being  regarded  in  some  respects  as  the 
organ  of  the  governor,  was  always  listened  to  with 
corresponding  attention  ;  we  may  throw  away  our 
lives  on  the  bayonets  of  the  soldiers,  and  surrender 
our  estates  to  the  cupidity  of  government,  if  we  choose 
— biU  it  vjonH  help  Rudolph  :  no,  my  friends,  in  thirty- 
six  hours  our  young  ally  will  have  ceased  to  live ; 
we  may  mourn,  but  cannot  avert  his  fate." 

Old  Evert,  who  had  sat  long  silent,  with  his  hands 
and  head  resting  upon  his  cane,  now  arose  with  a 
heavy  sigh,  and  walked  across  the  floor  ;  andthe  whis- 
per went  around  that  Rudolph  and  Effie  were  be- 
trothed, and  that  Evert  had  only  on  that  day  learned 
it  for  the  first,  and  that  his  daughter  was  even  yet 
ignorant  of  her  lover's  danger.  It  was  a  melancholy 
scene,  and  tears  sprang  afresh  to  many  an  eye,  when 
a  sudden   clatter  of  hoofs  without,  and  a  shout  from 


188         E1)t  iFitst    of   tt)e   Itnicfeerhocfters. 

the  voice  of  Jed,  brought  the  whole  company  in  haste 
to  the  door. 

*'  Give  us  fresh  horses,  for  the  love  of  Heaven  !"  he 
exclaimed — "Ceph  is  already  blown,  and  the  officers 
are  close  behind  !" 

None  stopped  to  question,  but,  rushing  to  the  stables, 
the  fleetest  steeds  were  chosen  and  saddled  in  a  breath 
— and  scarce  had  their  echoing  feet  died  away  in  the 
distance  before  the  sound  of  others  approaching  from 
the  city  was  heard.  So  sudden  and  brief  had  been 
the  interruption,  and  so  intense  the  excitement,  that 
scarcely  any  could  believe  it  was  a  reality  ;  but  there 
was  no  time  for  gratulations,  for  prudence  of  course 
demanded  the  instant  dissolution  of  a  conclave  which 
might  so  naturally  create  suspicion  as  to  its  design. 
With  hasty  adieus  the  guests  departed  by  a  retired 
road,  and  by  the  time  Hugh  and  his  train  had  reached 
the  governor's  house  all  was  quiet ;  even  Bucephalus, 
Jed's  discarded  steed,  having  been  removed  into  an 
adjoining  wood,  lest  his  presence  might  betray  his 
master's  agency  in  the  rescue.  It  may  be  deemed  no 
reasonable  cause  of  surprise,  that  while  the  main  body 
of  the  pursuers  pressed  hotly  forward  on  the  high- 
way, a  portion  of  them  stopped  to  search  the  prem- 
ises  of  the  ex-governor.  Yet  not  a  little  amazed 
did  Stuyvesant  seem  at  the  Goth-like  irruption  into 
his  domicil,  where  he  was  found  quietly  smoking  his 


S:|)e   iFirst    of   t\)£    m  nicftcvbotlters 


1S9 


pipe,  and  reading  with  great  interest  an  Amsterdam 
gazette,  some  eighteen  months  old,  which  he  had  lono- 

o 

known  by  heart.  Feigning  the  wrath  which  his  ec- 
stacy  of  joy  would  not  allow  him  to  feel,  he  beheld 
the  myrmidons  of  the  law  overrunning  his  house  from 
cellar  to  attic,  fierce  as  hounds  seeking  to  unearth 
their  prey  ;  and  many  were  the  unintelligible  taunts 
which  he  safely  showered  upon  them  in  Low  Dutch, 
while  following  them  up  from  room  to  room.  On 
their  sudden  departure  also  he  blazed.forth  a  "  fire  in 
their  rear"  of  double  chain-shot  anathemas,  which, 
although  formidable  to  hear,  is  believed  to  have  pro- 
duced no  fatal  effects. 

Whoever  had  seen  the  broad,  fat,  laughing  face  that 
re-entered  Governor  Stuy  vesant's  house  to  the  double 
quick-step  music  of  a  lignum-vitje  leg,  might  have 
believed  that  he  had  encountered  the  original  Comus, 
grown  old  and  crippled.  Thump,  thump,  thump,  rang 
the  heavy  blows  across  the  echoing  floor,  as,  scarcely 
assisted  by  his  cane,  he  walked  rapidly  to  and  fro  in 
a  whirlwind  of  joyous  excitement. 

"  They'll  never  catch  my  grays,"  he  said  ;  "  never, 
never  ;  they  might  as  well  chase  the  wind ;  Ru  and 
Jed  will  be  at  Devil  Creek  in  half  an  hour,  and  from 
there  they  will  soon  reach  a  place  of  safety  in  the 
wilderness.  They'll  never  catch  my  Donner  and 
Blitzen — never — never  '" 


190         ^fft   JFivst    of   t'i)c   lanicttcrliocfeers. 

Let  it  suffice  for  the  present  to  say  that  the  vene- 
rable Peter  had  not  overpraised  his  steeds,  or  miscal- 
culated results  ;  for  long  before  daylight  the  discom- 
fited pursuers  returned,  utterly  baffled  in  their  search. 
They  had  entirely  lost  track  of  the  fugitives,  being 
unable  to  learn  at  what  point  they  had  crossed  the 
shallow  creek  which  bounds  the  island  on  the  north. 
That  they  had  found  shelter  somewhere  in  the  bound- 
less wilderness  which  stretched  interminably  north- 
ward was  the  only  fact,  galling,  scathing,  rage-inci- 
ting, which  they  were  able  to  bear  back  to  their 
awfully  incensed  governor,  Sir  Francis  Lovelace. 

Old  Jake  meanwhile  was  in  prison,  in  full  view  of 
the  gallows,  and  in  the  firmest  possible  faith  that  his 
unfortunate  body  was  destined  to  be  framed  therein 
with  all  reasonable  despatch.  He  had  been  confined 
to  await  the  leisure  of  his  captors,  who  felt  certain  of 
thus  possessing  a  direct  clue  to  the  mysterious  agent 
in  the  rescue  of  Rudolph.  He  was  honored  accord- 
ingly on  the  ensuing  morning  by  a  visit  from  the  gov- 
ernor in  person,  accompanied  by  the  crest-fallen  but 
still  scowling  jailer,  and  no  small  train  beside.  Fully 
impressed  with  the  belief  that  he  was  to  be  led  to  in- 
stant execution,  the  negro  went  darting  like  a  mad- 
man about  the  room,  diving  into  all  imaginable  nooks 
and  corners  to  evade  his  supposed  pursuers ;  and  it 
was  only  after  inurh   delny  nnd   parley  that  he  could 


a:]^e   jFivst    ot    t1)c   W^nictvtvbotktvs.  191 

be  made  to  comprehend  what  was  really  wanted  of 
him.  But  the  whole  story  was  at  length  elicited,  and 
great  was  the  astonishment  and  indignation  of  Love- 
lace and  his  retainers  on  learning  that  it  was  the 
young  Knickerbocker  who  had  thus  wrested  their 
victim  from  their  hands,  and  brought  disgrace  and 
ridicule  upon  the  government.  While  the  examina- 
tion was  pending,  Hugh,  who  stood  a  little  apart  from 
the  rest  of  the  company,  and  apparently  quite  inat- 
tentive to  the  proceedings,  was  dihgently  engaged  in 
arranging  a  sliding  noose  to  a  stout  hempen  cord. 

"  When  is  it  your  excellency's  pleasure  that  it  shall 
be  done  ?"  he  said,  addressing  the  governor  as  the  lat- 
ter was  about  to  withdraw. 

*'  What,  Hugh — what  ?  do  you  want  to  hang  the 
negro  ?" 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  Hugh,  "  I  suppose  he  is  to  be 
turned  off,  of  course  ;  it  may  as  well  be  now  as  at 
any  other  time  ;  everything  is  ready,  and  it  is  cer- 
tainly very  clear  from  his  own  confessions  that  he 
assisted  in  the  escape." 

''But  he  hasn't  been  tried,  Hugh,  or  sentenced," 
said  the  governor,  apparently  in  doubt,  and  looking 
very  earnestly  in  the  jailer's  face. 

"  Wal,  I  suppose  that  can  be  done  afterwards  jus: 
as  well,"  answered   Hugh,  playing  with  the  rope— 


192  STfjc    iFirst    of    tf)t   JSinicktvbocttv  s . 

"  or  for  that  matter,  here  is  a  full  Court  present — your 
honor  and  Justices  Smith  and  Clark;  you've  heern 
his  confessions,  and  now  you  can  sentence  him." 

"  Very  true^very  true,"  said  the  governor,  v^hile 
the  negro,  pale  with  fright,  his  teeth  audibly  chat- 
tering, stood  staring,  speechless,  at  him.  "  What  say 
you,  brethren  of  the  bench  ? — my  opinion  is  that  the 
negro  is  guilty  of  aiding  in  the  forcible  rescue  of 
Rudolph  Groesb»«k,  a  convicted  traitor " 

Hugh  stretched  his  rope,  and  made  more  sure  of 
the  knot 

*'  and    my   sentence  is,  that  he  be    discharged 

without  further  punishment.  He  acted  under  his 
master's  orders,"  said  Lovelace,  opening  the  door, 
*'  and  knew  nothing  of  the  foul  crime  which  he  was 
abetting — scamper  home,  you  black  dog  ;"  and  Jake, 
darting  through  the  door-way,  went  bounding  through 
the  streets  like  a  madman,  looking  ever  and  anon 
behind  him,  to  see  if  he  was  pursued. 

*'  It  shall  never  be  said,"  continued  Lovelace,  "  that 
we  wreaked  our  vengeance  on  a  brainless  slave  ;  and 
now,  my  friends,  we  will  see  what  steps  can  be  taken 
for  the  recapture  of  our  prisoner,  and  his  very  valor- 
ous friend,  for  that  we  shall  have  them  yet,  you  may 
be  well  assured." 

So  saying,  the  governor  and  his  attendants  with- 
drew, and  Mr.  Hugh  Gore,  scowling  not  a  little,  hung 


5ri)e   ffivst   of   tf)r   IS-nirfeerbocfe  evs .  193 

his  hempen  necklace  on  a  nail,  and  wondered  very 
much  whether  he  should  ever  really  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  adjusting  it  under  the  ears  of  any  human  being. 
More  especially  and  more  longingly  did  he  wonder 
whether  he  should  ever  be  able  to  pay  so  dehcate  a 
mark  of  attention  to  that  very  jovial  gentleman  who 
had  treated  him  to  such  liberal  draughts  of  Mr. 
Huyck's  genuine  Jamaica. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

The  danger  was  not  past.  Grateful  as  had  been 
the  sense  of  relief  experienced  by  Rudolph's  friends 
at  his  escape,  they  could  not  but  feel  that  his  situa- 
tion was  still  one  of  extreme  hazard,  and  that  another 
of  their  number,  equally  worthy,  had  now  become  in- 
volved in  the  peril.  Outlawed  men,  co-tenants  with 
the  savage  of  a  barren  wilderness,  with  no  accessi- 
ble resort  in  civilized  life,  which  was  not  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  government  they  had  offended, 
what  hope  was  there  for  them,  of  surviving  the  perils 
to  which  they  were  exposed  ?     That  Lovelace  would 


194  ^fft   JFivst    of   tlje   ^niciterliocfepvs . 

not  for  an  hour  intermit  his  efforts  for  their  capture, 
there  was  every  reason  to  believe.  Rumors  of  his 
contemplated  movements  came  continually  to  their 
ears,  and  it  soon  became  certain  that  a  company  of 
horsemen  were  to  be  sent  out  to  scour  the  forest  in 
every  direction.  These  it  was  thought  could  not  fail 
of  success  ;  and,  having  returned  triuQiphant,  the  af- 
front which  had  been  offered  to  the  majesty  of  the 
law  was  to  be  expiated  by  a  double  sacrifice. 

But  the  Dutch  citizens  meanwhile  were  not  idle. 
Scarcely  an  hour  elapsed  on  the  day  following  the 
escape,  in  which  some  horseman  might  not  be  seen 
travelhng  northward,  slowly  and  quietly  at  first, 
but  outstripping  the  wind  when  the  forest  road  was 
gained.  These,  bearing  provisions  for  the  temporary 
sustenance  of  their  friends,  hoped  to  discover  their 
retreat,  and  be  enabled  not  only  to  administer  to  their 
wants,  but  to  keep  them  advised  of  the  movements  of 
their  enemies.  But  friend  and  foe  were  alike  unsuc- 
cessful in  their  efforts,  and  three  days  of  futile  search 
had  elapsed,  when  tidings  of  a  new  device  on  the  part 
of  the  officials  of  the  law  diffused  terror  among  the 
opposite  party.  Indian  scouts  or  runners  were  to  be 
sent  out,  who  could  thread  the  mazy  forests  with  ease, 
and  follow  the  trail  of  the  light-footed  deer  across  the 
pathless  wilds  ;  and  these  were  to  be  accompanied  by 
armed  men  in  sufficient  numbers  to  make  sure  of  the 


STije   jFivst   of   t1)c   BntcJtcrbocttcvs.         195 

capture  of  the  fugitives.  There  were  no  Indians 
who,  properly  speaking,  sojourned  in  the  city,  but 
there  was  a  class  of  this  people,  erratic  as  comets, 
who  emerged  at  irregular  intervals  from  the  wilder- 
ness, and  passing  a  few  days  as  hangers-on  at  the 
fort,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  those  shops  where  the  en- 
ticing fire-water  was  to  be  procured,  departed  again 
as  suddenly  as  they  had  appeared.  Among  these 
was  one  known  as  the  Raven,  a  noted  runner  or  news- 
carrier  among  the  tribes;  who  was  famous  also  for 
his  accuracy  in  following  a  trail,  however  carefully 
it  had  been  concealed.  His  reputation  in  these  mat- 
ters was  founded  on  the  concurrent  testimony  of  many 
of  his  red  brethren,  none  of  whom  pretended  to  com- 
pete with  him  in  these  qualities.  But  the  Raven  was 
at  this  time  absent  from  town,  and  as  his  motions, 
governed  by  unknown  laws,  were  too  eccentric  to 
admit  of  being  calculated,  particularly  when  subjected 
to  certain  disturbing  influences,  bottled  and  corked, 
which  he  usually  carried  with  him  from  the  city, 
it  became  necessary  first  to  send  a  messenger  of  more 
humble  pretensions  in  quest  of  him.  One  of  his  own 
people  was  accordingly  despatched  to  bring  him  in, 
and  in  the  mean  time  every  preparation  was  made  for 
the  expedition,  which  it  was  believed  could  not  fail 
of  success.  The  anxiety  of  the  friends  of  the  young 
men  greatly  increased,  and  being  themselves  closely 


196  STIje  iFirst   of    tlje   l^nicfeevli  ocfee  rs. 

watched  on  all  sides,  it  became  difficult  even  to  con- 
cert any  countervailing  action,  much"  more  to  carry 
it  into  effect.  Evert,  from  an  ecstacy  of  joy,  had 
sunk  again  into  utter  despondency,  and  was  haunted 
continually  by  visions  of  his  son  and  Rudolph  perish- 
ing in  the  forests  or  dragged  as  prisoners  to  the  city  ; 
while'  Effie,  who  had  been  informed  of  all  the  circum- 
stances on  the  evening  of  the  flight,  was  tossed  by 
those  tumultuous  emotions  of  hope  and  fear,  which, 
racking  the  soul  with  agony,  forbade  any  distinct  per- 
ception of  realities. 

The  crisis  indeed  appeared  rapidly  to  approach. 
The  hovv'ling  storm  of  Fate  seemed  only  to  have  sus- 
pended its  fury,  with  a  pause  ominous  of  the  increased 
intensity  which  was  to  mark  its  succeeding  blast.  The 
expected  scout,  true  as  the  trained  hound  upon  the 
scent  of  blood,  could  not  be  bafiled  or  deceived. 
Days  might  pass — a  week  even  might  be  consumed 
in  the  search,  but  its  fearful  termination  was  plainly 
to  be  foreseen.  A  day  elapsed,  and  the  runner  who 
had  been  despatched  for  the  Raven  returned  with  a 
message  from  that  ill-omened  bird,  signifying,  in  the 
mystical  language  which  the  Indians  delight  to  use, 
that  he  would  first  scent  his  prey,  and  then  would  re- 
turn like  an  arrow  from  the  bow.  Gore  in  the  mean 
time  became  ravenous  in  his  greedy  anticipations  of 
revenge;  nor  did  he  seek  to  mask  or  disguise  his  sen- 


2Cl)e  ffixst  of   t|)0   l^nickcxhotkevB.         197 

timents  by  any  pretended  regard  for  justice  or  the 
laws.  The  remembrance  of  his  recent  disgrace  was 
continually  in  his  thoughts,  corroding  his  inmost  heart, 
and  calling  for  that  fearful  expiation  which  he  rejoiced 
to  think  would  be  inflicted  by  his  own  hands.  All  its 
dreadful  details  were  present  to  his  mind,  as,  with  Sa- 
tanic ingenuity,  he  planned  some  added  aggravations 
for  the  final  scene.  By  day  he  uttered  vengeful 
threats,  and  if  he  slept  at  night,  it  was  with  clenched 
hands  and  corrugated  brow,  and  muttered  taunts 
upon  the  visioned  victims  of  his  wrath. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs,  when,  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  fourth  day  succeeding  the  escape,  Effie  resorted 
alone,  as  was  then  frequently  her  custom,  to  a  small 
observatory  on  the  house-top.  From  this  prominent 
post  of  observation  she  surveyed  the  road  which  led 
northward  from  the  city,  and  gazing  far  away  to- 
ward those  boundless  forests,  which,  somewhere  with- 
in their  depths,  sheltered  her  exiled  friends,  she  re- 
flected with  anguish  on  the  pains  and  perils  to  which 
they  were  exposed.  But  when,  from  the  frowning 
forests,  her  gaze  ascended  to  the  blue  summer  sky 
which  was  bending  tranquilly  above  them,  her  tor- 
tured breast  became  more  calm  ;  for  then  she  I'emem- 
bered  her  accustomed  reliance,  in  every  strait,  on  that 
Infinite  Power  and  Beneficence  which  saves  alike  "  by 
many  or  by  few."     Again  changing  her  field  of  view, 


198         STije  JFirst  of  tite  3^nicktxhocktxB . 

she  gazed  down  the  bay,  which  was  slightly  ruffled 
by  a  southern  breeze,  and  her  eyes  rested  upon  the 
distant  point  where  the  converging  shores  leave  but 
a  narrow  outlet  to  that  wider  expanse  of  waters 
known  as  the  lower  bay.  Was  it  a  cloud  that  hung 
midway  between  the  shores,  and  moved  slowly  to- 
ward the  north  ?  Another  followed  in  the  distance, 
and  yet  another  was  turning  the  furthermost  point  of 
land  ;  and  now  she  perceives  distinctly,  as  she  shades 
her  eyes  with  her  hands  and  looks  more  closely,  th^t 
they  are  not  clouds,  but  vessels  with  their  sails  spread, 
coming  in  from  sea,  and  that  two  more  have  been 
added  to  the  number.  So  rare  an  occurrence  could 
not  fail  to  excite  surprise,  and  Effie  hastened  to  in- 
form her  father,  who  was  sitting  in  his  accustomed 
corner  of  the  stoop  below. 

"  Five  vessels  in  the  Narrows,  standing  up  the  bay, 
do  you  say?"  asked  the  old  man,  trembling  as  he  rose, 
and  looking  with  almost  maniacal  wildness  at  his 
daughter. 

"  Yes,  papa,"  said  Effie  ;  "  you  can  see  them  dis- 
tinctly from  the  house-top." 

"  God  of  Heaven  !"  exclaimed  Evert,  reverentially, 
clasping  his  hands  and  looking  upwards,  "  thou  hast 
sent  us  aid  at  last." 

"Papa— dear  papa!"  screamed  Effie,  clinging  to 
him  with  sudden  alarm,  "  what  is  it  that  you  mean?" 


^fic   iFirst    of   tfjc   Bnicftcrijockcrs.         199 

*'  It  is  the  Dutch  fleet,  my  child"  exclaimed  Evert, 
springing  to  the  stairway  with  the  step  of  a  youth — 
"  It  is  the  Dutch  fleet,  and  lias  come  to  save  us  all 
from  ruin." 

Climbing  with  agility  to  the  roof,  the  old  man  dash- 
ed the  blinding  tears  from  his  eyes,  and,  gazing  ear- 
nestly down  the  bay,  saw  what  seemed  a  glorious  con- 
firmation of  his  hopes.  The  ships  had  passed  the 
Narrows  and  were  coming  up  under  flowing  sail  to- 
ward the  city  ;  and  while  he  trembled  lest  there  should 
be  some  mistake,  the  voice  of  Eflie  was  again  heard 
calling  from  below  : 

"  Papa,  oh  papa — here  comes  young  Harmon  Van 
Rensselaer,  riding  furiously  down  the  street ;  his 
horse  is  covered  with  foam,  and  he  is  swinging  his 
hat  in  the  air  ;  he  comes  this  way,  papa,  directly  to- 
ward our  house  ;"  and  by  the  time  that  Evert  had 
again  reached  the  piazza,  the  equestrian  was  gallop- 
ing down  the  lawn. 

^'  A  f.eet — a  fleet  from  home  .'"  he  shouted,  pausing 
but  a  breath,  and  pointing  down  the  bay  ;  •'  I  have 
seen  the  colors  of  the  States  at  their  masts  ;"  and  turn- 
ing his  steed,  his  flushed  face  vanished  as  suddenly  as 
it  had  appeared,  and  the  clattering  of  his  horse's  hoofs 
was  heard  as  he  hastened  to  difluse  the  tidings,  and 
his  echoing  voice  came  back  as  he  shouted  to  some 
passing  friend.  ''  Ji  fleet — a  fleet  from  home  /" 


200         ^\)t   iFU-st    of    ti;e   IS^n ickccbockcrs. 


Like  the  Highland  henchman,  with  his  cross  of  fire, 
speeding  to  call  his  clan  to  arms,  the  young  Van  Rens- 
selaer, heedless  of  danger,  and  exulting  in  the  glori- 
ous intelligence  which  he  bore,  passed  from  house  to 
house,  spreading  the  news  among  the  principal  Dutch 
inhabitants  of  the  city ;  and  then,  turning  his  panting 
steed  northward,  he  went  dashing  toward  the  Bow- 
ery. Govei'nor  Stuyvesant  was  sitting  on  his  stoop, 
giving  directions  from  time  to  time  to  the  slow-witted 
Hans,  who,  tete-a-tete  with  a  row  of  promising  cab- 
bage-heads in  the  adjoining  garden,  was  tending  and 
cultivating  them  with  a  sort  of  fraternal  solicitude. 

"  What  madman  comes  here  ?"  he  exclaimed,  as 
Harmon  came  galleping  up;  "  put  a  beggar  on  horse- 
back, and  he'll  ride  to " 

"  Huzza  !  huzza  !  huzza  !"  shouted  Van  Rensselaer, 
leaping  from  his  steed,  and  swinging  his  cap  as  he 
rushed  on  the  stoop,  and  seizing  and  shaking  both  the 
old  man's  hands  at  once.  "  There  is  a  Dutch  fleet 
standing  up  the  bay  with  all  sails  set,"  he  said  ;  "  in 
three  hours  New  York  will  again  belong  to  Holland." 

"  Are  you  sure,  Harmon  ?"  asked  the  governor,  en- 
ergetically, when  after  several  seconds  he  found  voice 
to  reply ;  "  are  you  quite  sure  that  this  glorious  news 
is  true  ?" 

A    booming    gun   at   this    moment,  reverberating 


(Et)t    jFirst    of    tt)e    Winicttvbocttvs .         201 

through    the   air,   seemed   to    answer    the    inquiry : 
another  and  another  followed  in  quick  succession. 

"  They  are  themselves  announcing  their  approach," 
said  Harmon,  rapidly — "  there  is,  there  can  be  no 
mistake;  1  myself  have  seen  the  colors  of  the  States 
floating  from  the  masts — huzza  !  huzza  !"  and 
Stuyvesant  joined  vociferously  in  the  shouts  of 
his  young  companion,  swinging  his  cane  meanwhile 
over  his  head,  and  making  the  whole  house  resound 
with  the  clatter  of  his  wooden  leg.  Hans  next  added 
his  hoarse  voice  to  the  concert,  and  a  rushing  con- 
course of  negroes,  springing  as  if  by  magic  from  every 
quarter,  soon  joined  in  the  deafening  cheers.  Doors 
and  windows  flew  open,  and  the  whole  household  of 
the  governor  came  pouring  out  to  learn  the  cause  of 
the  uproar,  and  finally  to  join  heartily  in  the  merri- 
ment. The  frightened  fowls  fled  cackling  in  every 
direction — the  dogs  turned  their  noses  up  into  the  air, 
and  barked  knowingly  toward  the  chimnies  ;  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  uproar,  the  sound  of  wheels  was 
heard — first  from  one  direction,  and  then  from  another, 
and  the  Van  Schaicks,  and  Van  Tines,  and  Van 
Pelts,  and  Van  Dams,  came  pouring  in  and  adding 
their  shouts  and  exultations  to  the  tumult.  In  ten 
minutes  the  whole  of  that  band  of  confederates  who 
had  been  present  on  the  night  of  Rudolph's  danger- 
ous commission  were  re-assembled,  with  many  more 
10 


202  E\k:    ffixst    of    t\)t   B-niclvevbocfeevs. 

beside.  The  most  hearty  congratulations  were  ex- 
changed on  all  sides,  and  nothing  was  seen  but  shaking 
of  hands  and  nodding  of  heads,  and  nothing  heard 
but  a  Babel-like  jargon  resounding  on  every  side, 
interspersed  with  noisy  laughter  and  every  token 
of  delight.  The  hubbub  of  a  New-England  town- 
meeting,  or  the  din  of  a  fourfold  auction  in  the  rever- 
berating rotunda  of  the  modern  Exchange,  may  serve 
in  some  degree  to  illustrate  the  uproar. 

But  the  turmoil  subsided  at  length,  and  the  assembly 
resolved  itself  into  a  sort  of  informal  council,  or  what 
in  more  modern  parlance  might  perhaps  be  termed  a 
provisional  government,  with  a  view  to  take  any 
necessary  measures  for  a  general  co-operation  with 
their  foreign  friends.  Various  expedients  were  pro- 
posed, but  the  upshot  of  the  deliberations  was,  that 
every  man  should  hasten  home,  and,  arming  himself 
and  his  slaves,  stand  ready  for  such  emergencies  as 
should  arise.  A  committee  of  vigilance  was  appointed, 
and  Major  Ver  Planck  was  put  in  command  of  the 
forces. 

*'  We'll  get  retty,  my  friends,"  said  the  Major — 
"  but  ef  there  are  five  sheeps-of-war,  there  won't  be 
mooch  for  us  to  do — they'll  batter  down  the  fort,  and 
all  three  of  the  redoubts,  and  half  the  town  besides,  in 
ten  minutes — but  then  we'll  get  retty,  my  friends— 
we'll  get  retty." 


CTijc   JFirst    of   tf)t    Winlcktxhocktvs .         203 

"  Oh  yes,"  said  Yawpy  Poffenburgh,  who  had  been 
alarmingly  pale  for  some  time  past,but  who  now  bright- 
ened up  at  the  thought  that  there  would  be  no  fight- 
ing ;  "  Oh  yes,  let  us  get  ready  by  all  means  ;  we  are 
all  willing,  I  hope,  to  venture  our  lives  in  such  a  cause, 
and  my  advice  is,  that  just  as  soon  as  the  city  is  taken, 
we  all  march  down  in  a  body  and  welcome  our  deliv- 
erers." 

"  It  may  perhaps  be  necessary  to  march  down  a 
little  before  the  city  is  taken,  Mr.  Poffenburgh,"  said 
the  governor,  "  and  that  will  certainly  show  our  valor 
quite  as  well  ;  but  of  that  we  can  judge  better  after  the 
fort  has  been  summoned,  and  after  we  shall  have  es- 
tablished a  communication  with  our  friends." 

The  next  thing  in  order  was  to  transmit  intelligence 
of  these  events,  if  possible,  to  Rudolph  and  Jed,  audit 
was  resolved  to  send  messengers  immediately  in  every 
direction  in  pursuit  of  them.  A  dozen  young  men  at 
once  volunteered  on  this  service,  pledging  themselves 
to  explore  the  forests  for  a  week,  rather  than  return 
without  success.  The  Raven  had  not  yet  made  his 
appearance,  and  it  was  confidently  believed  that  he 
could  be  intercepted,  and  made  to  serve  their  own 
purposes,  inasmuch  as  the  intended  governmental  ex- 
pedition would  doubtless  be  at  once  abandoned.  If 
he  could  not  be  found,  however,  it  was  hoped  that 
other  similar  agents  could  be  procured  in  the  wilder- 


204         STijc   jFirst   of   tf)t   2S^nicfeeri)ocfe«r« 

ness,  and,  full  of  confident  anticipation,  the  little  party 
of  cavalry  set  out  on  their  expedition  on  that  very 
evening.  The  party  meanwhile'  had  dispersed,  Mr. 
Knickerbocker  only  remaining  to  smoke  a  pipe  with 
his  friend,  and  quaff  a  bumper  of  genuine  Hollands  to 
the  thrice  glorious  event  which  was  yet  too  full  of 
dazzling  hope  to  be  contemplated  with  any  degree  of 
equanimity. 

Of  the  events  which  ensued  on  that  ever-memora- 
ble thirtieth  of  July,  in  the  year  of  grace  1673,  the 
historical  reader  needs  scarcely  to  be  informed.  The 
fleet  came  to  anchor  at  a  considerable  distance  below 
the  city,  and  on  that  same  evening  Colonel  Manning, 
the  commandant  of  the  fort,  impelled  doubtless  by  a 
sense  of  its  indefensible  condition,  sent  down  the  keys 
to  the  Dutch  admirals  ;  an  act  for  which  he  was  sub- 
sequently tried  by  court-martial,  and  degraded,  but 
escaped  severer  punishment.  But  what  language 
shall  describe  the  scene  of  the  ensuing  morning,  when 
the  hundreds  of  sleepless  eyes  which  had  "  oytwatched 
the  stars,"  waiting  for  the  momentous  events  of  the 
coming  day,  were  greeted  at  dawn  with  the  sight  of 
their  native  flag  floating  in  triumph  from  every  corner 
of  the  fort.  The  work  was  accomplished.  The 
mighty  achievement  of  which  they  had  talked,  and 
thought,  and  dreamed  for  nine  long  years,  was  wrought 
as  if  by    magic    before    their    eyes ;  and   the    New 


STije   ffivst   of   U)e  ItnicJkerftoclters.         205 

Netherlands  were  once  more  a  province  of  Holland. 
Of  the  details  of  the  capitulation,  and  of  the  surrender 
of  the  forts  at  Albany  and  on  the  Delaware,  which 
soon  after  ensued,  it  is  unnecessary  to  speak.  Let  it 
suffice  to  say  that  the  re-conquest  was  thorough,  com- 
plete, and  undisputed. 


CHAPTER    XX. 


The  admirals  and  captains  of  the  victorious  fleet 
held  a  council  on  shipboard  before  disembarking,  for 
the  purpose  of  appointing  a  governor  to  the  province, 
having  been  thereto  empowered  by  the  hom^e  govern- 
ment ;  and  it  having  been  ascertained  that  Stuyvesant, 
by  reason  of  his  age  and  infirmities,  preferred  not  to 
be  recalled  to  that  post,  the  dignity  was  devolved 
upon  one  of  their  own  number.  Captain  Andrew 
Colve.  The  new  governor,  the  admirals,  and  other 
officers  of  the  fleet,  assembled  on  the  same  afternoon, 
by  invitation,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Knickerbocker, 
where  they  were  met  by  the  principal  Dutch  inhabit- 
ants of  the  city.  Here  a  scene  of  unrestrained  hilarity 
ensued,  in  which,  without  any  undue  exultation  over 


206  ®:|)e   ffixsV  of   tf)e  mnicfeeri)ocftevs. 

their  adversaries,  every  one  gave  free  scope  to  his 
exuberant  joy.  There  were  a  multitude  of  matters  to 
be  discussed,  pertaining  both  to  the  expedition  and  the 
taking  of  the  city,  and  also  to  the  state  of  the  pending 
war  in  Europe ;  and  as  the  party,  to  the  number  of 
fifty  or  sixty,  were  divided  into  little  knots  of  six  or 
eight,  in  each  of  which  there  were  at  least  two  talk- 
ers to  one  listener,  it  will  be  believed  that  a  very 
respectable  amount  of  colloquial  power  was  kept  in 
operation. 

The  governor,  ex-governor  Stuy  vesant,  and  the  two 
admirals,  of  course  received  a  more  respectful  hear- 
ing than  others,  but  joy,  like  grief,  is  a  great  leveller, 
and  there  was  no  very  marked  deference  to  rank  ex- 
acted or  bestowed.  Indeed,  there  came  a  time  before 
the  evening  passed  away,  in~  which  a  considerable 
degree  of  confusion  must  have  resulted  from  any 
attempt  to  establish  rights  of  precedence ;  Governor 
Colve  having  been  heard  to  address  a  second  lieuten- 
ant by  the  title  of  Admiral,  and  the  venerable  Stuy- 
vesant  making  some  earnest  inquiries  when  the  attack 
on  the  fort  was  to  commence,  as  he  had  put  Yawpy 
Poffenburgh  in  command  of  the  forces,  and  they  were 
all  ready  to  march.  If,  however,  any  such  little  aber- 
rations occurred,  it  was  at  a  late  hour  in  the  evening, 
when  people  grow  sleepy,  and  naturally  make  mis- 
takes.    There  was,  it  is  true,  a  very  large  punch-bowl 


2rt)e   iFirst   of   tt)e   IS^nt  cfeerhocfeers.         207 

standing  on  the  side-board,  cheek  by  jowl  with  a 
pitcher  of  spiced  toddy,  and  now  and  then  a  decanter 
of  the  raw  material,  and  the  fumes  which  arose  from 
these  sources  may  possibly  have  had  something  to  do 
with  the  matter.  But  this  is  getting  altogether  ahead 
of  the  story.  It  was  at  an  earlier  hour,  and  long  be- 
fore sunset,  that  the  supper  table  was  set  out  on  the 
long  piazza,  for  there  was  no  room  in  the  house  com- 
petent for  such  a  purpose,  and  if  there  had  been,  there 
could  have  been  none  half  as  pleasant.  The  fresh  air 
from  the  river  circulated  freely  through  the  poj:ch, 
while  the  large  shade-trees  adjacent  excluded  the 
sun,  and  gave  shelter  to  a  band  of  feathered  musicians, 
which,  flitting  briskly  about,  kept  up  a  sort  of  chirrup- 
ing chorus  to  the  shouts  and  laughter  that  arose  from 
within.  As  the  superintendence  of  this  momentous 
part  of  the  entertainment  had  been  committed  to  Effie, 
her  sense  of  responsibility  was  a  very  weighty  one, 
and  probably  not  materially  inferior  to  that  of  Gov- 
ernor Colve  on  taking  his  new  command.  But  dear 
Effie  had  the  assistance  of  the  family  slaves,  and  of 
six  borrowed  ones  beside,  in  addition  to  which  a  row 
of  amateurs,  to  the  number  of  fifteen  or  twenty,  deco- 
rated the  outside  of  the  piazza,  looking  on  with  every 
demonstration  of  delight  which  owl-like  eyes  and 
white  teeth  could  give,  and  ready  to  render  any  extra 
assistance  that  might  be  required.     Indeed,  any  mani- 


208  STije   jfivst   of    t|)e   ItnicfeevlJocfeers. 


festation  of  a  desire  for  their  aid  was  apt  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  a  struggle  for  the  honor  of  rendering  it,  which 
created  no  slight  disturbance  ;  but  the  good   feeling 
was  too  general  to  allow  of  any   censure  being  be- 
stowed for  such  a  cause.     Although  Effie's  joy,  like 
that  of  her  father,  was  materially  moderated  by  her 
fears  for  Rudolph  and  Jed,  yet  the  spirit  of  hope  pre- 
dominated ;  for  the  measures  which  had  been  taken 
for  the  discovery  of  the  young  men,  it  was  believed, 
could  scarcely  fail  of  success.     It  was  a  sumptuous 
repast,  around  which,  at  a  summons  from  Jake,  now 
transformed  into  head  butler,  the  happy  party  gather- 
ed, and  remained  standing,  while  Dominie  Megapolen- 
sis,  his  white  locks  resting  on  his  shoulders,  invoked  a 
blessing   from   above.     The  rich  and    savory  dishes 
which  sent  up  their  flavor  from  every  side  were  not  a 
little  grateful  to  the  senses  of  men    who  were    not 
accustomed  to   slight  the   creature   comforts  of  life  ; 
and  more  especially  to  that  portion  of  them,  who  for 
months  preceding  had  been  restricted  to  the  coarser 
fare  incident  to  a  life   at  sea.     How  gloatingly  did 
their  eyes  fall  upon  the  dishes  of  roasted  and  stewed, 
and  broiled  and  baked,  which  were  scattered  in  pro- 
fusion on  every  side  ;  the  tender,  juicy  steaks,  drowned 
in  gravy ;  the  huge   tureens  of  oysters  ;  the  rashers 
of  bacon  and  new-laid  eggs,  the  roasted  ducks,  and 
roasted  chickens,  and  roasted  geese  ;  the  saurkraut,  and 


5ri)p  jFivst  of   ti)^   J^nickbviiockets .         209 


kohlslaa,  and  simaa  and  rulliches  ;  to  say  nothing  of 
a  side-table  laden  with  pies  and  puddings,  and  a  per- 
fect Himmaieh  of  doughnuts  ;  and  with  the  many- 
twisted,  crisp,  crumbling  crullers,  which  were  made 
on  principle,  so  that  every  part  should  be  of  just  the 
thickness  of  Effie's  little  finger.  The  beverage  of  tea 
was  unknown  at  that  period  in  this  country,  and  form- 
ed of  course  no  part  of  the  repast,  but,  as  has  been 
already  hinted,  there  was  no  lack  of  certain  other 
potables,  which  in  those  dark  ages  were  deemed  rea- 
sonably palatable.  Conversation  sank  to  a  very  low 
ebb  for  a  while,  being  superseded  by  the  clatter  of 
knives  and  forks,  and  by  the  occasional  clash  of  con- 
flicting waiters,  one  of  whom,  being  lost  in  admiration  of 
Admiral  Evertsen's  golden  sword-hilt,  deposited  a  dish 
of  oyster- soup  in  the  ample  lap  of  an  adjoining  burgher. 
Effie,  being  the  only  lady  present  on  this  occasion, 
bloomed  like  a  rose  in  a  potato-patch.  Her  beauti- 
ful face,  of  course,  lost  nothing  by  contrast  with  the 
coarser  features  with  which  she  was  surrounded;  and 
a  fat  bachelor  lieutenant  devoted  every  breath  of  time 
that  he  could  possibly  spare  from  his  very  eager  de-- 
glutition,  to  staring  at  her.  Indeed,  he  had  nearly 
concluded,  before  the  meal  was  finished,  that  if  old 
Mr.  Knickerbocker  could  give  her  anything  of  a  rea- 
sonable dowry,  he  would  be  disposed  to  make  her  Mrs. 
Simon  Swackhoffer  with  all  due  despatch. 
10* 


210         E^c  ffixBt   of   tt)c   Utiicfeerbocfeers- 

But  the  meal  was  nearly  ended,  and  the  guests  had 
begun  to  eat  more  leisurely,  and  Governor  Stuyve- 
sant's  man  Hans,  who  was  inseparable  from  his  master, 
and  who  had  been  sitting  for  the  last  hour  in  a  quiet 
corner  of  the  stoop,  in  a  dozing,  half-dreamy  state,  had 
begun  to  calculate  at  each  waking  how  near  his  own 
chance  at  the  tempting  viands  had  approached.  And  the 
waiters  within,  and  the  waiters  without,  knowing  full 
well  that  they  would  be  stinted  in  none  of  the  luxuries  on 
which  their  eyes  had  long  been  feasting,  were  making 
similar  calculations  as  to  time,  and  chuckling  at  each 
sign  of  a  guest  giving  out.  But  Hans  has  awakened 
more  fully  than  usual ;  he  has  even  opened  his  lips  in 
that  august  presence;  he  has  raised  his  hand — he  speaks, 
he  gesticulates,  and  the  outsiders  are  stricken  dumb 
at  his  audacity. 

"Hark!"  said  Hans,  raising  his  forefinger ;  and  all 
eyes  were  turned  towards  him,  Governor  Stuy  vesant 
frowning  not  a  little. 

"  Hark  !"  he  repeated,  still  elevating  his  hand. 

**What  does  the  idiot  mean!"  asked  Stuy  vesant, 
angrily — "  what  do  you  hear,  boy  ?" 

"  It's  Donner  and  Blitzen  !"  said  the  lad  ;  "  /  know 
their  gallop !" 

A  slight  scream  arose  from  Effie  ; — Evert  and  Stuy- 
vesant,  with  half  of  the  guests,  sprang  to  their  feet 
and  rushed  out  on  the  lawn,  while  the  naval  officers. 


E^t   JFirst   of   tijc   Unicfeerbocfeers. 


211 


ignorant    at  first  of  what  was  meant,  looked  on  in 
utter  amazement.      Hans  was  not  deceived.      In  two 
minutes  Jed  and  Rudolph  were  in  the  arms  of  their 
friends,  pulled  and  hauled  on  every  side,  thronged  and 
pressed,  and  climbed  upon,  and  held  by  the  hands,  and 
by  the  arms,  and  by  the  shoulders,  and  questioned 
with  thirty  questions  at  once,  and  informed  by  thirty 
voices  of  what  they   already  knew,  that  New  York 
was  reconquered,  and  that  they  were  both  safe  from 
the  gibbet,  and  that  the  great  admirals  and  the  new 
governor  were  all  then  and  there  present.     The  pa- 
ternal eye  of  Evert  was  the  first  to  perceive  that  the 
young  men  were  suffering  severely  from  fatigue  and 
famine,  and  that  no  kindness  would  be  as  appreciable 
by  them   as  food  and  repose.      They  were  therefore 
suffered,  after  a  formal  presentation  to  the  strangers, 
to  withdraw  to  another  room,  promising  to  rejoin  the 
company  in  the  course  of  the  evening.      Effie  had 
vanished  from  the  party  at  the  first  alarm,  and  to  her, 
as  may  well  be  supposed,  the  first  thoughts  of  the 
new-comers  were  directed.      They  met  at  once  and 
together ;  it  was  a  voiceless  interview  at  first,  in  which 
tears  that  could  not  be  repressed  told  of  feelings  that 
could  not  be   uttered.      Pale,   hollow-cheeked,   and 
travel-stained,  the  fainting  young  men  sank  exhausted 
into  seats,  and  gave  way  to  feelings  which  a  greater 
degree  of  strength  would  have  enabled  them  to  re- 


212  Srt)^    ffivst   of    t\jt    3^nichtvbockcv^ 

strain.  But  a  little  repose,  and  a  little  speedy  refresh- 
ment, and  the  cheering  voice  of  Effie,  who  flew  bus- 
tling in  every  direction  to  administer  to  their  wants, 
acted  like  a  charm  upon  the  sufferers,  and  at  the  end 
of  an  hour  Jed  was  sufficiently  restored  to  rejoin  his 
father's  guests.  Not  so,  however,  with  Rudolph,  who 
did  not  deem  it  safe  to  abandon  his  medical  adviser 
until  a  much  later  period.  When  he  did  so,  however, 
the  renewed  sparkling  of  his  eye,  and  a  general  viva- 
city of  manner,  gave  token  of  some  change  of  treat- 
ment which  had  proved  highly  favorable  to  his  case. 

On  joining  the  company,  he  found  himself,  moreover, 
at  once  transformed  into  a  lion  of  very  formidable 
dimensions — a  very  Lybian,  both  in  roar  and  mane. 

He  was  not  prepared  for  the  congratulations  which 
poured  in  upon  him  from  all  sides,  and  much  less  for 
being  told  by  the  gallant  Admiral  Evertsen  that  his 
patriotic  services,  his  self-devoting  heroism,  and  his 
near  approach  to  martyrdom,  should  not  only  be  duly 
represented  at  home,  but  that  they  would  not  be  over- 
looked by  the  new  colonial  government. 

When  the  excitement  occasioned  by  Rudolph's  en- 
trance had  somewhat  subsided,  and  conversation  had 
again  become  general.  Governor  Stuyvesant,  whose 
countenance  had  long  given  token  of  some  earnest 
purpose,  rose  with  much  emotion  to  propose  a  toast. 
The  anxious  and  inquiring  look  which  he  gave  at  the 


2rf)c   JFfvst   of   t1)cBnickerl)ocfeers.  213 


same  time  to  the  admirals  and  the  new  governor 
evinced  that  it  was  not  without  some  degree  of  trepi- 
dation and  doubt  that  he  spoke.  A  general  silence 
prevailed,  and  all  eyes  were  fixed  wonderingly  on  the 
speaker,  when,  raising  his  brimming  glass,  he  said,  "  I 
give  you — 

"  Justice  to  Evert  Knickerbocker !" 
There  was  a  moment  of  painful  doubt,  for  although 
all  present  were  familiar  with  the  history  of  Evert's 
wrongs,  the  former  apathy  of  the  home  government 
on  the  subject  had  created  fears  that  even  now,  when 
it  was  so  easy  to  award  restitution,  the  new  governor 
might  be  backward  about  doing  so.  The  suspense, 
however,  lasted  but  a  moment.  No  sooner  had  Ad- 
miral Evertsen  fully  comprehended  the  meaning  of 
the  toast,  than,  elevating  his  glass,  he  repeated  it  in  an 
emphatic  voice  ;  Benckes  and  Colve  did  the  same,  and 
the  words, "  Justice  to  Evert  Knickerbocker,"  resound- 
ed in  a  hearty  chorus  from  every  part  of  the  table, 
followed  by  a  clinking  of  glasses,  and  a  hearty  "three 
times  three,"  led  off  by  Governor  Colve  himself.  At 
the  next  moment  Evert's  friends  crowded  around  him 
with  hearty  congratulations,  while  the  old  man,  taken 
entirely  by  surprise,  was  able  only  with  tears  and  dis- 
jointed words  to  express  his  emotions.  The  party 
dispersed  at  a  late  hour,  in  merry  mood,  and  on  the 
next  day  Mr.  Knickerbocker  received  a  valid  patent 


214         S:i)c   JFitst    of    tt)e    mnicfeerfaockers. 

for  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  those  very  do- 
mams  which  sixteen  years  before  had  been  voted  to 
him  in  council.  Whether  the  claims  of  the  heirs  of 
Sharp  would  under  other  circumstances  have  been  at 
all  considered,  may  be  a  matter  of  conjecture  ;  but 
the  abduction  of  Hiram,  and  the  uncertainty  whether 
he  was  in  existence  or  not,  had  made  it  impossible  for 
Lovelace  to  issue  a  patent  either  to  him  or  his  chil- 
dren ;  and  the  title  had  been  withheld  to  await  some 
settlement,  either  by  lapse  of  time  or  otherwise,  of 
that  question.  The  title  to  the  other  two-thirds  had 
also  remained  in  the  English  government,  and  the 
whole  thus  passing  by  reconquest  to  the  new  sover- 
eignty, there  was  nothing  in  the  way  of  awarding  the 
most  full  and  complete  restitution.  It  was  done,  and 
Evert  did  not  neglect,  this  time,  either  the  recording 
of  his  deed,  or  the  subsequent  safe  disposition  of  the 
original  document. 


2r|)c   iFirst   of   t!)c   iinfcfterftocfters.         215 


CHAPTER     XXI. 

On  that  memorable  day  which  beheld  the  re- 
transfer  of  the  province  of  New  York  to  the  Dutch, 
Mr.  Benhadad  Sharp  was  absent  from  the  city,  being 
engaged  on  his  estates,  renewing  some  expired  leases, 
and  grinding  the  faces  of  some  very  poor  and  very 
industrious  tenants. 

"Never  since   I   have   been  a a  patroon,"  said 

Benhadad  to  himself,  assuming  a  title  which  he  had 
long  coveted — "never  since  I  have  been  a  patroon," 
he  said,  as  he  journeyed  leisurely  homeward,  "  did  I 
see  such  indolence  and  neglect;  and  they  to  prate 
about  agues  and  fevers,  and  their  troops  of  children 
to  be  fed  and  clothed,  the  little  dirty  ragamuffins  !  but 
they'll  find  there's  to  be  a  change  ;  I've  raised  on  'em 
all  round,  enough  to  make  a  hundred  pounds  extra  in 
my  pocket  for  the  next  year,  and  I  shall  tell  the  gov- 
ernor to  do  the  same.  I'm  harder  than  Mr.  Knicker- 
bocker, am  I,  Mr.  Simpkins  ? — very  well,  I'll  be  hard- 
er still  next  year  ;  I'll  have  no  lazy,  whining  fellows 
about  me  ;"  for  Simpkins,  and  Schmidt,  and  Thompson, 
who  had  swarms  of  youngsters,  had  all  told  the  young 


216         2ri)e  jFirst    of    ttje   m.  u  f  cfecr  l<  oc  k  ers. 


landlord  how  Evert  had  always  thrown  off  something 
of  his  dues  from  them  on  account  of  their  children  ; 
"  I'm  harder,  am  I  ?"  continued  the  soliloquist — "  very 
well—  I'll  be  harder  still,  and  teach  you  better  man- 
ners—I'll  " 

Bang  !  bang !  bang  !  came  the  sound  of  the  cannon  up 
the  bay,  echoing  far  and  wide  across  the  silent  waters, 
and  over  the  distant  hills  ;  for  it  was  evening,  and  the 
admirals  had  just  received  the  keys  off  Staten  Island, 
as  has  been  related  in  the  preceding  chapter. 

'•  What  in  the  name  of  wonder  does  all  that  mean  ?" 
continued  Sharp,  who  had  now  reached  the  ferry- 
boat, a  huge  scow,  pulled  by  ropes  across  the  river,  at 
its  narrowest  part — "  what's  all  that  firing  at  the  fort, 
Mr.  Schnipper  ?" 

"'Tain't  at  the  fort,  that  ain't,  Mr.  Sharp,  by  no 
manner  of  means,"  said  the  ferryman,  who,  being  a 
Dutchman,  was  chuckling  delightedly  as  he  spoke  ; 
"  it's  the  Dutch,  sir,  that  is — the  Dutch,  sir — sixteen 
men-of-war,  which  are  going  to  take  the  city  at  day- 
break to-morrow  mornin' — that's  all." 

There  are  no  words  in  any  human  vocabulary  to 
express  Benhadad's  astonishment  and  alarm,  for,  ob- 
tuse as  he  was  on  many  points,  he  was  remarkably 
clear-sighted  in  whatever  pertained  to  his  own  pe- 
cuniary interest,  and  he  foresaw  at  once  the  whole 
probable  sequence  of  events  in  relation  to  the  Knick- 


8C!)e  iFivst   of   tl)e  IS-nicUerbocfters.         217 

erbocker  manor.  How  great  was  his  cause  for  grief 
will  be  better  understood  when  it  is  said,  that,  in  a 
formal  division  with  his  sister  of  their  patrimony,  he 
had  accepted  the  manor  lands  as  his  half,  felicitating 
himself  not  a  little  on  having  obtained  the  lion's  share. 
That  no  re-division  could  be  hoped  for,  had  been  ren- 
dered quite  certain  by  another  singular  event  which 
had  occurred  a  short  time  prior,  being  nothing  less 
than  the  sudden  marriage  of  Euphemia  to  one  Charles 
Augustus  Sinclair,  late  a  captain  in  the  Spanish  naval 
service.  Benhadad  did  not  reply  to  the  ferryman,  and 
was  aroused  from  his  painful  reverie  only  by  being  no- 
tified that  the  boat  was  ready.  But  if  the  boat  was 
ready,  the  traveller  was  not.  Visions  of  a  tremendous 
bombardment — of  red-hot  shells  flying  through  the 
air — of  a  desperate  encounter  under  the  walls  of  the 
fort,  began  to  take  possession  of  his  mind,  and  inas- 
much as  fighting  was  quite  against  his  principles,  he 
resolved  to  return  to  his  estate,  and  there  await  the 
expected  thunderbolt  which  was  to  shatter  his  fortunes. 
If  this  anticipation  was  not  a  very  pleasing  one,  it  was 
at  least  of  no  long  continuance  ;  for  in  forty-eight  hours 
Mr.  Knickerbocker  was  in  person  on  the  estate,  fully 
reinstated  in  his  rights,  and  receiving  the  congratula- 
tions of  his  thronging  tenantry. 

The  new  government  did   not  stop   midway  in  its 
measures.     "  We  must  give  Rudolph  a  potato-patch," 


218         ST  tie   iFicst   of  tt)e   B-nfc  Ueri)  ocfeevs. 

said  Colve  to  his  councillors  at  one  of  their  earliest  sit- 
tings, running  his  finger  meanwhile  over  a  number  of  un- 
appropriated townships  on  a  map  which  was  spread  out 
before  him,and  finally  selecting  one  containing  about  ten 
square  miles,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Knickerbock- 
er manor.  "  That  will  do,"  he  said  ;  "  what  say  you, 
gentlemen — has  Rudolph  Groesbeck  deserved  such  a 
mark  of  his  country's  gratitude  ?"  A  unanimous 
voice  approved  the  governor's  liberality,  and  the 
grant  was  immediately  made. 

It  required  time  to  appreciate  the  magical  change 
which  had  been  so  suddenly  wrought  in  the  fortunes 
of  the  Knickerbockers,  and  of  Rudolph.  Their  indi- 
gence had  been  changed  to  affluence,  their  danger  to 
security,  their  distress  to  happiness,  and  no  trace  of 
departed  griefs  remained,  excepting  that  remembrance 
of  their  existence,  which  serves  to  heighten  the  en- 
joyment of  present  prosperity.  Many  were  the  sub- 
sequent scenes  of  hilarity  which  ensued  at  the  old 
homestead ;  but  the  earliest  and  most  prominent  of 
these  was  one  which  will  be  too  easily  imagined  to 
require  any  detailed  description.  Evert's  house  was 
one  of  ample  dimensions,  but  it  w^as  for  once  filled  to 
overflowing ;  for  old  and  young  were  there,  gray- 
bearded  men  and  ancient  matrons,  blooming  belles 
and  dashing  beaux,  and  even  wee  children,  to  attend 
the  mystical  ceremony  by  which  Rudolph  and  Eflie 


^TDc   ffiivHt   of   t\)z   m.nicktxhoikexs 


219 


were  to  be  united  in  perpetual  league.     It  was  the 
season  of  flowers,  and  the  bride,  in  accordance  with 
the  simple  taste  of  the  age,  was  adorned  with  a  rose- 
ate diadem,  which,  however  much  a  decoration,  mani- 
festly  received   more  lustre  than  it   imparted.     Ru- 
dolph's commanding  figure,  the  joyous  Jed,  the  ven- 
erable  Evert,   with  Stuyvesant   and   Colve  and    old 
Dominie  Megapolensis,  erect  and  stately,  were  among 
the    conspicuous    features  of  the    assemblage.     The 
crowded  room,  the  open  windows  thronged  on  the 
outer  side  by  guests  who  could  not  get  in,  the  tier  of 
slaves  still  further  removed,  and  peering,  with  sable 
necks  outstretched,  from  the  tops  of  adjacent  railings 
and  fences,  presented  altogether  a  picture  of  delight 
and   satisfaction,  not  often  seen  or  easily  forgotten. 
The  merry-making  which  followed  the  ceremony  was 
free  and  unrestrained,  and  lasted  until  a  late  hour  in 
the  evening  ;  the  pillars  of  the  long  piazza  being  made 
to  shake  by  the  hour  to  the  tread  of  the  twenty-four 
couple  of  contra-dancers,  who  responded   to  the  vio- 
lent  and    tugging   efforts    of  three  African   fiddlers, 
perched  on  an  eminence  just  without  the  porch.     As 
there  was  nothing  to  mar  the  pleasures  of  the  even- 
ing, so  did  these  prove  a  significant  prelude  to  the 
long  after  years  of  harmony  and  happiness,  which 
marked  the  lot  of  the  newly  wedded. 

Jed  continued  his  woodland  sports  until  diverted 


220         Srtje   iFii:st   of   tfje   mnicfeerftocfeers. 

from  the  chase  by  a  new  variety  of  game,  in  the  pur- 
suit of  which  he  exhibited  his  usual  skill  and  success. 
In  other  words,  he  soon  brought  home  a  gentle  bride ; 
but  the  friends  whom  adversity  had  united,  prosperity 
did  not  separate.  In  that  ancient  homestead,  ren- 
dered sacred  by  its  connection  with  the  marked  events 
of  the  past,  they  all  resided  togetfier  for  many  happy 
years.  Evert  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  and  smoked 
a  thousand  peaceful  pipes  in  his  favorite  corner  of 
the  stoop,  slightly  disturbed  perhaps,  at  times,  by  the 
shouts  of  noisy  children  on  the  green,  who  called  him 
by  a  new  and  welcome  name.  Upspringing  like 
roses  about  his  path,  these  became  the  light  of  his 
eyes,  and  the  core  of  his  heart.  The  morning  and 
the  eve  of  life — how  strongly  do  they  contrast,  and 
yet  how  harmoniously  do  they  blend  ;  the  innocence 
of  childhood,  and  the  piety  of  guileless  age,  alike  eli- 
citing the  smiles  and  protection  of  that  Infinite  Bene- 
ficence whose  purity  they  reflect  ! 

Governor  Stuyvesant  lived  also  to  a  ripe  age,  and, 
like  Evert,  in  the  enjoyment  of  serene  and  tranquil 
days,  scarcely  disturbed  even  by  the  subsequent  ces- 
sion of  the  province  to  England  by  the  Dutch,  which 
occurred  at  the  close  of  the  war  between  those 
nations.  He  died  in  August,  1682,  and  an  ancient 
slab  of  freestone,  still  to  be  seen  against  the  base  of 
St.  Mark's  church  in  the  modern  metropolis,  indicates 


2rt)e  iFirst  ot   tt)e   B-nicfeerlio  cfeers  .         221 

the  place  of  his  repose.  There  are  gorgeous  monu- 
ments to  his  more  wealthy  descendants  within  the 
edifice,  but  the  old,  gray,  weather-beaten  stone  with- 
out, alone  proclaims  the  resting-place  of  the  illustrious 
founder  of  the  family. 

Lovelace  was  ordered  to  depart  from  the  province, 
and  Egbert  Groesbeck,  bankrupt  in  purse  and  in  repu- 
tation, was  among  those  who  joined  the  train  of  the 
ex-governor,  and  went  to  England.  He  did  not  scru- 
ple however  to  receive  a  liberal  present  from  his 
brother  on  the  eve  of  departure,  or  to  suggest  the 
address  to  which  any  similar  mark  of  favor  might  be 
forwarded. 

As  neither  Ripley  nor  Sharp  was  ever  heard  of 
again,  it  is  supposed  that  the  former  concluded  to 
throw  off  his  allegiance  to  Sinclair,  and  take  the  des- 
tinies of  the  Zephyr  and  its  prisoner  into  his  own 
hands,  in  which  event  the  fate  of  the  latter  may  read- 
ily be  conjectured. 

The  jailer,  Gore,  was  for  a  while  violent  in  his 
denunciations  of  the  new  government,  by  which,  of 
course,  he  had  been  ousted  from  his  official  station, 
but  his  clamor  was  brought  to  a  sudden  and  singular 
termination.  The  Raven,  who  had  returned  to  the  city 
only  to  find  that  his  services  were  not  required,  had 
continued  to  beset  Hugh  with  importunities'  for  his 
promised  reward,   and    being   finally  repulsed  with 


222         a:j)e  ifirst   of  ti)c  JSiniciitvboctevB . 

oaths  and  taunts,  he  suddenly  plunged  a  knife  into 
the  heart  of  the  jailer,  and  escaped  in  safety  to  the 
wilderness. 

The  means  by  which  Captain  Sinclair  had  suc- 
ceeded in  supplanting  his  friend  in  the  affections  of 
Euphemia  were  not  altogether  apparent,  but  it  soon 
became  evident  that  the  latter  had  no  very  strong 
hold  upon  her  volatile  and  jovial  partner.  He  soon 
began  to  manifest  a  singular  propensity  to  transmute 
his  property  of  every  description  into  bullion,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  a  small  estate  which  had  fortu- 
nately been  settled  upon  his  wife,  accomplished  his 
purpose,  although  of  course  at  a  great  sacrifice. 
Soon  afterwards  he  received  some  important  intelli- 
gence from  Spain,  which  demanded  his  presence  in 
that  country  for  a  few  months,  whither  he  accordingly 
departed,  taking  care  to  carry  his  gold  along  with 
him.  Singularly  enough,  however,  the  Captain  neg- 
lected to  return  to  America,  and  it  was  supposed 
that  he  had  been  prevailed  upon  to  remain  abroad  by 
the  urgent  entreaties  of  his  many  distinguished  friends, 
the  Count  Sylvio  not  excepted. 


THE   END. 


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